


Jealous men wear bruises

by dancey94



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Hannibal is a psychiatrist and Will is his assistant, Hannibal is not a good person, M/M, Masturbation, Slow Build, Swearing, a fine lover though, don't believe Hannibal, everyone is jealous of everyone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-14
Updated: 2015-05-08
Packaged: 2018-03-22 20:37:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 19
Words: 21,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3742783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dancey94/pseuds/dancey94
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There was a new lover almost every week that came and waited for Hannibal to finish work. Will has seen them all – young, old, short, tall; there was no one particular type really. Maybe apart from the fact that they all wore expensive clothes and, well, disappeared after a week.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introduction to hell

“Please, call Mrs Hopkins and tell her that I won’t see her until 5. There is a bit of an emergency with Mr Collins” Will lifted his head up hearing the voice of his boss and saw the tall man, impeccably dressed (as always), peaking through the door.

“Of course, sir” Will answered politely and Hannibal disappeared in his office.

Will was just flicking though some files and checking if all data are correct. He had already made a few mistakes and he really wouldn’t like to go through the process of correction again or hear his boss lecture him about the importance of his work.

Will considered Hannibal a strange man, yet extremely charming. The psychiatrist was organised (and would manage without Will), always dressed in a suit (which probably cost more than Will’s salary) and was extremely clever. But he had his quirks. And Will hated most of them. He also hated the fact that despite promising himself he would not fall for the doctor, he developed an unfortunate crush.

And Will would probably get over it, if he saw Hannibal with a beautiful woman. But the doctor tormented him by greeting passionately a new lover almost every week after work.

Time passed and Will accepted the fact that Hannibal would never find him interesting, let alone in a romantic way.

 

Late in the evening Hannibal said goodbye to his last patient and closed the office. He would always dismiss Will when the last patient arrived and tend to the rest of the matters alone. This time was no exception.

Hannibal turned off all the lamps and closed all the doors. Tonight, he would come home alone. No lover waiting for him.

Hannibal was on his way to his car parked in the back of the building when he noticed someone or something lying on the ground. It was difficult to see anything as the only source of light there was one street lamp and its light was pretty dim. The doctor approached the lump and noticed curly hair and a shining Rolex which he gave Will on Christmas (more as a bonus rather than a present).

The psychiatrist turned the person and confirmed it was Will. His face was bloody and he had plenty of bruises all over his body. His clothes were torn and creased.

_Oh god, how long has he been lying here?_

Hannibal’s whole body trembled as he started to fear the boy might be even dead. The doctor checked the pulse and sighed with relief. He checked if Will had any bones broken but he seemed alright, apart from being severely beaten.

Hannibal considered taking his assistant to a hospital but then the whole process of asking ‘Where did you find him?’ and ‘Did you see the attacker?’ would start and he wanted to avoid it.

The doctor took Will in his arms and laid him on the backseat of his Bentley.

 

Hannibal parked in his garage to make sure no one would see him carrying the body. He took Will to his guestroom and laid him on the bed. The doctor fetched some medical supplies and started to unbutton Will’s shirt to check for further injuries. The boy’s stomach was bruised and his chest was rising and falling in an unnatural way as Will had troubles with breathing.

When the psychiatrist started to apply moistures and bandages, Will regain consciousness and moved abruptly, which only made him groan as the pain heightened.

“Stay still” said Hannibal softly but with a hint of a warning.

“Where am I? What happened?” Will looked at his body being tended to by his boss.

“You’ve been attacked. I saw you on the parking lot and took you to my home to take care of your injuries”

“What? Who attacked me? I don’t remember anything” Will was too shocked and confused to ask more reasonable questions like ‘Why didn’t you take me to a hospital?’.

“I do not know what happened, Will. I found you only when I closed the office” Hannibal wasn’t looking into Will’s eyes; he was focused on the wounds.

Will groaned in pain again when he tried to turn.

“I told you to stay still” the doctor checked one more time if all injuries are bandaged and taken care of and he looked at Will’s face “Do you need anything? Water, maybe?”

“Yes, please”

Hannibal disappeared to bring something to drink and that gave Will the opportunity to look around the room. He noticed mahogany furniture, a few paintings and a lot of very elegant trinkets. He laid his head down and closed his eyes.

When Hannibal returned with a glass of water, Will had already fallen asleep.

The doctor covered the boy with the duvet and left the glass on the nightstand.


	2. Jealous boys are no good

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry for excessive swearing but i wanted a character to behave that way :/

Will woke up the next day but before he opened his eyes, he felt the soft fabric of the sheets beneath him and the satin duvet covering his body. He smiled and curled up, pushing his head deeper in the pillow. Then, he had a flashback of what had happened the evening before and a shiver ran down his spine. 

_A flash of light. The parking lot. Will has just left the office and was about to enter his car when he felt a strong hit to the back of his head which made him lose balance and fall to the ground. Then, there were more hits and kicks directed to his body and darkness engulfing his mind._

Will moved in attempt to stand up but his body didn't want to cooperate with his mind. He groaned and the moment he tried to lift the duvet, the door to the room opened and Will thought he had died or that he was still dreaming. 

Hannibal was wearing a white v-neck t-shirt (which allowed a sneak peek at the doctor's chest hair) and pyjama pants (which emphasized his slender legs).

"No, no, no. Lie still" Hannibal hurried to put the tray he was carrying on the nightstand and to cover Will "You need to rest at least one more day so I'm giving you a day off and I'm letting you stay here for the day so that you don't strain yourself. Here you have some fresh juice and two toasts. I hope it's ok with you?"

"I can't stay here. You're my boss" Will tried to stand up again and not to impose on his employer.

"And that's exactly why you _can_ stay. Because I _let_ you"

At this moment an alarming red light sprang in Will's mind. The psychiatrist had always seemed domineering and bossy but the statement rang in Will's ears and affirmed him in his opinion.

"I don't want to impose on you. You've done more than enough already and I cannot possible say how grateful I am-"

"It is settled. You stay here for the day and rest. I go to the office and manage everything myself. It would be best if you slept the day away"

Hannibal cut the discussion and unnecessary comments and left Will in the room alone.

 

The doctor spend the day as he normally would: seeing his patients, having a lunch and making a few calls. He tended to all the things that Will would and in the evening he closed the office.

When he appeared on the parking lot, there was someone standing in the dark corner. Hannibal couldn't recognize his face but the stranger did not bother him and the doctor approached his car. Only then did the person come closer and grabbed Hannibal from behind.

The psychiatrist smelt familiar perfume and didn't jump at the gesture. Instead, he turned to face the stranger.

It was Matthew, his newest lover. Matthew Brown, an orderly in a Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. A really strange and unique man. Matthew was younger than Hannibal and seemed much more dangerous. He wanted to be perceived as dangerous and wanted people to fear him. Hannibal wasn't sure if this had anything to do with respect and he definitely wasn't afraid of Matt but he tolerated the boy. For now.

Besides Hannibal knew that all of this was a pose and there were times, of course when he let Matt believe he had some kind of power over the doctor but Matt dropped the act when he whined between the sheets.

"Good evening, Matthew" Hannibal said while the boy was kissing and biting the doctor's neck.

"I've been waiting for you. The work make me sick and those crazy people make me sick"

"Unfortunately, you didn't tell me you would meet me tonight. I have a guest at home"

Matthew's lips pursed and he banged his fists at the car door right beside Hannibal's head.

"What guest?" he said through clenched teeth.

"My assistant. He was attacked yesterday and I found him here lying on the ground. I took him to my home and provided necessary medical help"

"He probably deserved that" Matthew spit on the ground and put his hand on Hannibal's crotch.

The doctor seemed to understand that Matt was simply jealous and didn't want to enrage the boy by defending Will. 

"Look, you took care of him, even though you didn't have to, and he spent all day in your house, which I don't get, because he could have-"

"To the point, Matthew, please"

"You take me to your house, kick your assistant out and I fuck you against a wall"

"Forgive me, Matthew but I won't throw him out in the middle of the night. We have to reschedule"

But that made the boy almost inflame with anger. He put his hands on the psychiatrist's throat and squeezed gently. 

"I want to fuck you. I spend the days in this shithole and I've had enough of it. Tell your guest to piss off"

"Matthew..." Hannibal tried to remain calm and he gently caressed the boy's hands almost squeezing the life out of him.

Matt backed off and disappeared like a shadow in the mist of the night.

The doctor took a few deep breaths and drove home.

 

Will was indeed still sleeping when the doctor went to check on him but he seemed a bit better. The bruises remained in their place but the boy's breathing was regular and soothing, even.

Hannibal watched him for a moment and then went to his bedroom. He remembered Matt's hands on him and wondered. It was not unusual for Hannibal to 'date' violent lovers and he even enjoyed roleplays or bondage but Matt was a bit too much. Hannibal started to question if he should see Matthew again. He wondered if the boy was the cause of his assistant lying in his bed right now, almost beaten to death.


	3. We are all strays

The next day Will woke up almost with the sunrise. He grunted as he tried to stand up but he wouldn’t give up. He went to the adjacent bathroom.

Will was shirtless and the second he opened the door to the bathroom he saw himself in the large mirror on the opposite wall. And he didn’t like what he saw. There were still some purple marks on his body and face and a few of them started to turn yellow. There was also a plaster on his forehead and a bandage covering his chest where the ribs are.

He was grateful to Hannibal for taking such a good care of him. But now he started to wonder – why didn’t the doctor take him to a hospital where he could get professional opinion and help. And his boss’s life would remain undisturbed.

And just when he thought about it, he saw someone approaching him from behind. It was Hannibal, of course, but he looked like a shadow moving swiftly as if he didn’t use legs but simply flowed.

“Do you feel better today?” a smooth and deep voice seemed to ground Will.

“A bit, yes. I should really go now” Will turned and took his shirt from the chair wanting to get dressed and set his plan in motion.

“You should eat first. Come downstairs, I made pancakes. Then, I’ll drive you home”

“But my car… it’s still in the parking lot”

“You’re in no condition to drive now. When you resume your work on Monday, I’ll pick you up in the morning”

“I’ve caused you so much trouble…”

“It is alright, Will. I made my decision”

That put Will in no position to ask any questions, let alone put the doctor’s intentions in doubt. The boy acquiesced and the men went downstairs.

The kitchen looked like an operating room. Silver steel reflected the light and silhouettes of people in the room.

Will sat on the stool and Hannibal offered him a plate. Will hummed in delight at the taste of the meal, which made the doctor smile. The boy blushed and tried not to embarrass himself further by eating the rest in complete silence.

It wasn’t until he finished the meal that he asked “Did you mean I’m on a leave till Monday?”

“Yes. You need rest and I can manage the office myself”

“Well, I could work but the problem is with my looks. Unless I put some make up on-“

“It’s alright, Will. How many more times will I have to say it?”

The doctor seemed genuinely annoyed so Will didn’t utter another word.

The psychiatrist drove the boy home and it was the first time he was there so he took his time watching the house. It was a small building painted white but probably long ago because the paint had stains and started to turn gray or yellow in some places.

“Um… do you want a cup of coffee?” Will had no other way to thank the doctor.

“I would love to but I don’t have much time before the first patient arrives so I need to go”

“Oh, alright. See you on Monday then” Will smiled softly.

“Goodbye, Will”

And just like that, Hannibal disappeared.

 

Will stepped on the porch and when he was about to open the door, he noticed a bundle of ginger fur in the corner. He frowned and approached the lump. It stirred and whined and Will realised it was a small dog and it probably had a broken leg. Will took the dog in his arms and entered the house. He put the dog in front of the fireplace and checked its legs. It turned out that it only cut his paw and the legs were ok. Will stumbled to the bathroom for some supplies and took care of the dog.

Then, he made a coffee and found some fairly fresh food for himself and the dog. He sat on the couch and looked at the stray.

“What should I call you?” the boy wondered and the dog curled around his ankles. “How about Boss?” Will said the name with a grimace but the dog lifted his head and barked. Will took it as a yes and smiled. Then he brought an old blanket and turned it into a place for Boss to sleep. The boy stroked the soft fur.

“We should wash you, don’t you think?”

And Will took Boss to the bathroom and filled a basin with water. Then he put the dog in the basin and washed him, paying extra attention to the hurt paw. Then Will dried the dog with a towel and took him back to the blanket in front of the fireplace.

Will poured himself a drink and looked at the calm dog. He thought of Hannibal and rolled his eyes at his own delusion.

Then he went to sleep.


	4. Replacements

Will’s absence didn’t affect Hannibal, at all. He spent the rest of the week as if nothing happened. He saw his patients, met his friends and fucked Matt (and let himself be fucked) in every possible position and in almost every place in his house.

It wasn’t like Hannibal was addicted to sex or anything. It was rather he enjoyed the company of men and especially rough men like himself. He changed partners frequently when he (or the lover) got bored or when the partner took things too seriously and suddenly a threat of commitment appeared.

 

Then, there was Monday.

Will woke up at six as he normally would, showered, shaved and drank some coffee. A little after seven he heard a car drive up. _Hannibal_.

It was a bit weird to resume working for Hannibal after they had shared a fairly traumatic experience. At least at the beginning.

By the time the third patient arrived, Will had already adjusted and it wasn’t awkward anymore. Yet he caught himself counting down minutes to lunch break.

He was interrupted by the sound of door being open and he lifted his head from the papers on the desk he was investigating to check who came just a quarter before the break.

“Good morning” said a stranger.

A middle-aged man (similarly to Hannibal), dressed in a suit (a bit of resemblance here, too) with perfectly styled hair and a frown on his face. Will didn’t even realise he was staring at the man.

“Um… Good morning” said Will with a faint apologetic smile and then quickly added “How can I help you, sir?”

“My name is doctor Frederick Chilton. I came to take dr Lecter to lunch”

_Oh. Another prey._

“I see. Dr Lecter is with a patient now. If you will please wait here-“

“Of course” dr Chilton returned the smile and sat in the chair beside a wall next to Will.

“Are you the assistant? The one who has been attacked?” the visitor asked after a moment, examining the remains of bruises on the boy’s face.

“I’m afraid I am”

“Hannibal told me the whole story. Do you really have no idea who could have done this?”

‘Intrusive’ Will though, and just a moment after they met.

“No, sir. I do not” calm and professional.

“Oh, please. Call me Frederick” the doctor offered and the very same second the door to Hannibal’s office opened releasing a patient and then the psychiatrist.

“Frederick. I’m glad you came”

“Of course. How could I miss a rare opportunity for a lunch with an old friend who is constantly busy”

“You’ve met my assistant, I suppose”

“Oh yes. We were just chatting” dr Chilton glanced at Will and smirked.

“Very honest employee” Will blushed at the comment and Frederick’s eyes sparkled “Shall we?” Hannibal opened the door to leave the building but offered the precedence to his friend.

“Of course. Pleasure to meet you, Will” Frederick extended his hand towards the boy.

“Likewise…sir” Will tried to at least pretend in front of his boss, especially after the praising comment.

Dr Chilton’s pupils dilated at the appellation. Will noticed it and blushed.

 

The two doctors went to a familiar restaurant and a waiter took their orders.

“So, I see your assistant has recovered”

“Yes. He still has some remains of the bruises but he seemed better today”

“And he still claims he has no idea who did that to him”

“Have you asked him?” Hannibal was a bit surprised.

“Well, yes” dr Chilton answered as if there was nothing wrong with posing such a question to a newly met person “He made an impression of a clover and polite young man”

“You seem fairly interested in Will”

“I’m surprised _you_ haven’t already conquered him” Frederick gave his friend a knowing look.

“I’m not interested in an affair at workplace” Hannibal seemed genuinely appalled.

“Well then you wouldn’t mind if _I_ asked your assistant out for coffee, would you?”

“I think it’d still be a conflict of interest, don’t you?”

“As long as you stay away from it, we’ll be alright” Frederick stated and they ate their lunch.

 

When Hannibal returned to the office, he looked at Will and grimaced. The boy’s face paled in fear of having done something wrong or staining his clothes with the food he ate during lunch.

“What did you think of dr Chilton?” Hannibal casually asked.

Will’s eyes widened. Was it about him being impolite or something? Or maybe too polite.

“He seemed like a very kind and straightforward man” there was not much more to say really.

“Would you agree to go out with him for a coffee?”

“Um…” Was it a test? What was the correct answer?

“If I didn’t mind, of course” Hannibal added, seeing the boy’s perplexity.

“Then, yes” Will stated not very confident and after a second more of consideration.

“He asked me if he could take you to lunch tomorrow. I said that it depended on you. Should I tell him you accept the invitation?”

“If that isn’t too much of a problem, sir” Hannibal nodded and disappeared in his office.

When the last patient arrived, the doctor dismissed Will as always but he seemed a bit distant. This made Will afraid that maybe he shouldn’t have accepted Frederick’s offer. But what was so harmful about seeing the other psychiatrist?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> beginning of #ChillyWilly?


	5. Breaking conventions

The next day Hannibal acted unnaturally polite. He was always kind and eloquent even while demanding something from someone but that morning it felt exaggerated. Then, five minutes before the lunch break, a patient left the psychiatrist’s office but dr Lecter didn’t even bother to peer out.

Will was puzzled but he wouldn’t dare interrupt the doctor anything so he patiently waited.

Exactly when the clock on the wall opposite Will’s desk said eleven, the front door opened.

Frederick Chilton knew that one of dr Lecter’s requirements for an assistant would be a suit or at least a blazer on a nice shirt, (and besides he saw Will dressed perfectly - elegant and formal - the day before). That was why he decided to wear something similarly semi-formal but without outdoing.

He had a navy blue shirt and a gray blazer that went well with black jeans. Somehow, the set made him look younger.

Will smiled at the sight before him.

“Good morning” the boy said coyly and dr Chilton found it incredibly flirtatious.

“Good morning” answered Frederick in mock seriousness and not wanting to break some conventional rule that Will set between them.

“Is the lunch still on?”

“Of course. Are you ready? Is there still something you need to do?”

“No, no. It’s just… dr Lecter let out his patient but didn’t leave the office himself, which is odd. Maybe I should check on him?”

Dr Chilton noticed Will’s distress and decided to spare him further worries.

“Let me do it. He won’t fire me” Frederick winked at Will.

The doctor opened the door slightly and could not spot Hannibal anywhere in the office. He stepped farther in and called out Hannibal’s name but there was no response. Dr Chilton returned to the waiting room.

“He’s not there. Could he use the back door?”

“Well, yes. But he’s never done that”

“Should I call him?”

“No” Will stated confidently “I’m sure everything’s fine. Shall we?”

 

Dr Lecter let out his patient and grimaced. He took out his phone and after short consideration he texted Matthew.

‘Meet me at the back door’

In a second came a reply ‘Naughty’.

It was on rare occasions when Hannibal met his lovers during lunch break. But something about Frederick meeting Will made him angry and horny and he thought a good fuck would remedy the situation and distract him at least for some time.

 

Frederick took Will to a place that classified as something between a restaurant and a pub, where “they served this amazing salad for lunch”. Dr Chilton would never suspect Hannibal to even know about the place.

They found seats in a corner and fairly far from other people and ordered the salads that Frederick was so enthusiastic about.

“So, tell me what were you doing before the good doctor hired you”

“Well I was studying psychology and then I wanted to go into criminology but I resigned after a semester. Two days later I found dr Lecter’s job offer and by a lucky accident I am here now” Will grinned.

“Why did you resign?” asked Frederick looking genuinely curious and still eloquent while devouring a piece of lettuce.

“It was messing with my head. All those cases to study and all those sick people…”

“Do you think they are all sick?” Frederick investigated further.

“Well, I don’t. And maybe that was the problem. I understood them. I guess it’s even worse”

Silence.

“And that was an interesting beginning of a date” Will concluded with a wide smile but he realised he had just defined this meeting as a date and quickly regretted it.

“I believe it already made me want to ask you out again” Frederick bared his white teeth in a smile.

“Have you dated all of dr Lecter’s assistants?” Will felt a gush of courage.

“None, actually. None of them was this cute”

Will blushed at the comment and lowered his head to at least partially hide it but it made things even worse as his eyelashes created a beautiful shadow under his eyes and he looked like an angel from a renaissance painting.

“I would ask Hannibal to draw me a picture of you but I think it would make him even more angry about me seeing you” Frederick smirked and Will chuckled.

“Oh yes, he made a ceremony of it yesterday. I’m wondering if his patients have to deal with his riddles, too”

Will wasn’t sure how far he could go with this familiarity but he started to feel secure with dr Chilton speaking of Hannibal like that.

“I believe psychiatrists have to be as straightforward as they can possibly manage. Otherwise, a therapy will lead to nothing”

Did Frederick try to present himself as a better professional than dr Lecter?

Will thought it was going too far but he held an inexplicable grudge against Hannibal.

“How did you and dr Lecter meet?” the boy asked.

“We had some classes together actually. I was studying surgery for some time but then, not unlike you, resigned and educated myself in psychiatry”

“Why did _you_ resign?” Will narrowed his eyes and tried to read the doctor.

“I thought I wouldn’t bear it if I couldn’t save someone. As a psychiatrist I have helped all of my patients so far”

Dr Chilton seemed to believe the statement would impress the boy but Will thought of Hannibal and his patients and everything he learned during the time spent on the university. Frederick made it all look so simple while Will’s experience proved that it wasn’t an easy job.

“That’s very impressive” Will said despite himself.

They finished their lunch and dr Chilton walked Will back to dr Lecter’s office. The boy stopped at the front door.

“Well. Thank you for the delicious lunch and a very nice time” the boy extended his hand.

“It was my pleasure, Will” Frederick shook the boy’s hand while looking him in the eyes provocatively.

Will smiled politely and withdrawn his hand. He stepped into the building.

 

Hannibal had met with Matthew and fucked him (twice) but when he returned to the office he felt dissatisfaction. Something was definitely wrong.

The psychiatrist heard Will come back from lunch and he was tempted to ask about the meeting but what was his excuse to barge into someone’s love life? Especially his assistant's, with whom he was on purely professional level of relationship, which he started to regret.

His bewilderment was interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Come in, please”

“Mr Budge is here, sir. Should he come in or do you want him to wait?”

“No, no. Let him in”

There. He had to focus on patients and their problems.

 

When the time come for the last patient to arrive, Will knocked again and announced:

“Mrs Dulloway cancelled the appointment. She has just called and said she was sorry but there was an emergency and she really can’t turn up”

“It’s alright” Hannibal stated and it confused Will.

Dr Lecter would consider it rude to cancel in the last possible moment. Of course, the situation seemed pretty serious but he would still grimace or make a comment.

“Is something wrong, sir?” asked Will shyly but genuinely worried.

“No. Why? Do I seem like something is wrong?” Hannibal stood up from his desk and approached Will who was standing in the door.

“Maybe I just misinterpreted something. My apologies”

“There is nothing to apologise for” they exited the office and then the building.

While Hannibal was locking the door, he couldn’t help but ask:

“May I inquire about your meeting with dr Chilton?”

“Um…yes, why not. We just had lunch and talked. Mostly about our pasts”

“Oh. Did he tell you how we met?” Hannibal smiled at the memory.

“He said you had some classes together” Will frown, sensing an interesting story behind the smile.

“Well, yes. Anyway, do you think you will meet again?”

Dr Lecter was chatting with him. And about his date, no less. Something was definitely wrong.

“Um… I don’t know. I don’t think I’m in any position to initiate the next meeting so I guess we’ll see”

“Yes, I guess we will” stated Hannibal more to himself.

“Does this violate any rules or boundaries? Do you not approve of this?”

“I’m in no position to tell you who you can or cannot meet. Dr Chilton is my colleague and my opinion about him should not determine your relationship. But it would be wise to get to know him before getting involved with him, as with anyone, really” Hannibal hated himself for this comment as it was fairly hypocritical but once he said it, it was said.

“I couldn’t agree more” Will answered and bid the doctor goodnight.

They parted.


	6. Unexpected sweetness

Hannibal arrived at home , changed and went to the kitchen. Cooking always helped him think. Indeed, when he was in the middle of preparing the supper, he came up with an idea. The doctor wasn’t sure why he needed to pursue his freshly planned course of action but he was certain that if everything went as he intended it to, he’d feel better.

 

The next day Hannibal was cheerful and Will wondered if maybe a new lover was a cause of it. After all, he hasn’t seen any new face since Jack and that was like three weeks ago.

Was it possible that dr Lecter settled down? Was that the reason why he started to behave so friendly towards Will?

When the second patient that day left the office, dr Lecter appeared in the waiting room and approached Will.

“Do you have any plans for lunch today?” the psychiatrist asked with a polite smile.

“If you mean if I’m meeting dr Chilton the answer is no”

Hannibal chuckled.

“I hoped the use of ‘any’ would assure you I have good intentions and do not try-“

“I don’t have anything planned for the break, sir” Will returned the smile.

Hannibal was actually impressed by the boy’s courage to cut his sentence.

“Would you accept my invitation for lunch then?”

“Um. Of course”

“Good” Hannibal said and disappeared again in his office.

 

Around ten a telephone on Will’s desk rang.

“Dr Hannibal Lecter’s office. How can I be of service?”

“Hmmm. Let me think on that offer”

“Frederick” Will sighed.

“Hello, Will. I’m sorry I'm calling the office but I forgot to ask for your number yesterday”

“It’s quite alright as long as you keep it short” Will smirked and dr Chilton could sense it.

“How do you feel about dinner tonight?”

“Great. When?”

“I’ll pick you up at eight if you text me your address”

“Sure. I’m just writing down your number from the caller ID. Should I wear something formal or is it a casual meeting?”

“I intend to take us to one of the best restaurants in town so a blazer would be nice”

“Of course” Will was a bit repulsed by Frederick’s pretentiousness.

“Well, see you at eight, then”

“Goodbye, Frederick”

Will hung up and wondered. He wasn’t sure if dr Chilton was a boyfriend material but he could do with a temporary fling.

At eleven dr Lecter let out his patient and left the office himself. He smiled towards Will.

“Ready?”

“Yes, sir”

“Oh, Will. We’re going to lunch and I’d be glad if you dropped the professional appellation outside our workplace”

Will narrowed his eyes in further confusion. Was this some kind of test?

“Whatever you wish”

They left the building and Hannibal opened the passenger door for Will.

“Thank you”

 

They didn’t drive very far but managed to get to the suburbs. Dr Lecter parked the car in front of a small café.

When they stepped inside, Will held his breath. It was a tiny but very elegant space and for a moment Will felt like he entered a café in sunny Florence. He could smell the sweetness of pastries and beverages served there and he couldn’t help but closed his eyelids for a broken second.

Hannibal noticed this and smiled. He led Will to the seat near the window so that they could remain in the light.

A waiter approached them and asked if they were ready to order. Will was still in the process of reading the menu while Hannibal didn’t even need to look at it and ordered something for them both.

The boy didn’t feel like arguing with his boss in a fancy café, especially when said boss had just started to warm their relation, but Hannibal’s behaviour annoyed him.

“I actually have an agenda, Will” said the doctor while the waiter served them two plates with a piece of pie.

“I was thinking about throwing a party. Maybe next Saturday…”

“Do you want me to take care of it? Call some services and send invitations?” asked Will a bit puzzled because Hannibal had thrown parties before and never needed anything from his assistant.

“No, no. I’ll deal with it myself. No. I want to invite you”

“Me? Why?”

“Well, you are a brilliant educated young man. Your presence will be refreshing”

Will almost chocked at the statement and then frowned.

“You’ve never invited me before”

“That may have been a mistake. I came to conclusion that maybe I was a bit too strict with you…”

“I mean, I’d be honoured. Honestly. May I ask if dr Chilton will be there?”

“I'll invite him, too, yes. He’s my colleague and most of my colleagues are always invited. As well as my acquaintances from opera and theatre and my former colleagues when I was a surgeon”

“That sounds like only best and brightest attend your parties”

“Absolutely” Hannibal sipped on his coffee.

“Do I need to wear a suit?”

“It’s not an official requirement but yes, that would be advisable. I could introduce you to my tailor if you wish or maybe accompany you when you go shopping”

Will felt like he was about to have a heart attack. His authoritative employer took him to lunch, then invited to one of his fancy parties and now offered help in choosing proper clothes.

Maybe his head suffered much more serious injury then he had suspected.

“Will?” Hannibal was looking directly in the boy’s wide eyes with a hint of concern.

“Sorry. I was just thinking… That’s an extremely kind offer“

“We could go look for something nice on Friday. I know one boutique where the owner is incredibly helpful and has a great sense of fashion”

“Um… Alright”

“Excellent” the doctor smiled widely.

They finished their lunch and drove back to the office.

 

The rest of the day was pretty boring and according to the schedule. In the late afternoon, Will was dismissed and went back home to prepare for the date with Frederick.

He found a shirt he bought some time ago but never wore it and a matching blazer. He was contemplating whether to wear jeans or trousers made of fairly elegant and comfortable fabric when he heard a knock at the door.

Will looked at the clock. _7:56. Damn._

The boy quickly put on the trousers and hurried to answer the door.

“Good evening, Will” dr Chilton said smiling softly and measured the boy.

Will felt uncomfortable and started to wonder if the date was a good idea but there was no going back now. And besides, maybe he’s just being unnecessary prejudiced.

“Hello, Frederick” Will forced himself to smile and they entered the car and drove off.


	7. Make me

Dr Chilton parked the car in front of a posh building. The men stepped inside and a waiter led them to an unoccupied table in the corner of the room.

“I’ll give you gentlemen a moment to contemplate on the menu” a neatly-dressed man said and disappeared to tend to other guests.

Frederick looked at the menu and then at Will as the boy tried to figure out what some of the names meant.

“I recommend grilled salmon. I’ve already eaten it here and it was delicious” Frederick suggested.

“I like fish. I may order that” Will smiled in the doctor’s direction.

The waiter returned and Will asked for the salmon while Frederick ordered a meal that Will wasn’t sure he could even repeat the name of. Somehow, he thought the psychiatrist would order the same as he did and the situation annoyed him. But maybe he was overreacting.

“Hannibal invited me to a party next Saturday. Unfortunately, I can’t go but believe me Will, if I were to go there I’d take you” Frederick made an innocent expression and touched lightly the boy’s hand in further assurance.

“Oh. That’s too bad” Will failed to mention being invited himself as the waiter brought their plates.

“I actually don’t regret. I’m not very fond of most of the people that usually attend those parties” Frederick said with a grimace.

“Why?”

“Let’s just say we have very different opinions on most of the topics and they like to act like they are smarter than everyone else”

The rest of the evening was spent on talking about movies or music, occasionally about psychological problems which causes were not known to that day. They ate a delicious dinner and drank some wine. Will tried to choose words cautiously and not to take everything Frederick said or did too seriously. At the end he would rate the date as fairly pleasant.

Dr Chilton then drove Will back home and when the boy was about to thank for the lovely evening, the doctor started to get out of the car. Will grabbed Frederick by the elbow lightly and smiled apologetically.

“I would offer you a drink but I have to get up early and you shouldn’t drink more if you’re driving, don’t you think?”

Dr Chilton blinked at Will and seemed offended.

“Well, then. Am I to understand that I should leave now?”

“It was a lovely evening, really. Thank you, Frederick”

Will got out of the car and entered his house.

“Hello, Boss” the boy said to the dog.

He fed it and then went to the bathroom to shower. He leant against the cold tiles, tired.

When he lay on the bed, he fell asleep instantly.

 

Then, there was Friday. And no call or text from dr Chilton since their date. But something in Will told him it was not a bad thing.

Friday. It was that afternoon that Will had agreed to go shopping with his boss.

He was pretty stressed out the whole day and then Hannibal asked him to stay till he finished with the last patient so they can go to the boutique the doctor had in mind.

Will did as he was told. He waited by his desk, completing the files and eventually flicking through some magazines that were left for the patients.

At five, the door to the office opened and let out Hannibal along with his patient. They bid each other goodbye and Hannibal approached Will, smiling.

“Ready?” the doctor asked happily.

“Yes”

“I think it’s be best if you follow my car”

And they drove exactly as the psychiatrist’s suggested. Hannibal parked his car on the lot near a passage of sophisticated and expensive-looking boutiques and Will parked inches by.

They got out of their cars and entered one boutique.

“Wow, it even smells expensive” Will commented and Hannibal smiled.

Then a man appeared and grinned at the sight of the psychiatrist.

“Dr Lecter!” he exclaimed in delight.

“Anthony” the men shook hands “This is Will. He’s going to my party next week and I’m afraid I’ve seen all of his suits. He needs a new one”

“Of course”

Anthony didn’t waste any time. He started to measure Will with his eyes and then he disappeared only to return within a moment with a forest green suit.

“Here. Don’t you think it will bring out your eyes?” the man offered Will the suit and showed him where he could try it on.

“I agree, Anthony” said Hannibal while browsing through ties “And this one will heighten the effect” the doctor added holding a grey tie with an imprinted pattern.

“I thought I needed only a suit” Will exclaimed from the changing room.

“Well, yes but since we’re here you can add a matching tie and a new shirt”

“A shirt?”

“Oh, yes. Anthony, could you please find a shirt in a little lighter shade of grey?”

“Naturally”

Will tried the suit on his own shirt but the fit was perfect. And the colour indeed made his eyes stand out. He felt handsome. And confident.

He stepped out of the changing room to present himself to Hannibal. The doctor blinked and only thanks to his mastered self-restraint he managed not to open his mouth in admiration.

“You look positively ravishing”

Will blushed at the comment.

“Thank you. I do think it matches my eyes”

“That’s a misunderstanding, Will. I assure you, you will leave all my guest speechless when they see you”

The compliment warmed the boy’s cheeks and some other parts of his body.

“What about the shirt?”

“Here” Anthony handed Will the piece of clothing.

Will tried it on and wondered. It was a perfect fit. Anthony was the master in his craft. But Will didn’t have any shirt that would press to his body so tightly. He was afraid he would feel uncomfortable.

“Will?” Hannibal was obviously trying to get the boy out of the changing room.

Will stepped out and realised he didn’t button the cuffs.

“Let me” Hannibal hurried to help but that was actually his way of distracting himself not to stare at Will’s lean body.

“Thank you”

Anthony and Hannibal were looking at Will and he felt extremely self-aware, especially with his nipples showing through the thin fabric of the shirt.

“Um… maybe you could find something more loose?” Will asked shyly.

Anthony was about to look for something else but Hannibal stopped him.

“Believe me, Will. This one is perfect. You can buy another one, of course, but this one is a must”

The doctor smiled reassuringly and Will nodded. He changed back to his clothes and they approached the counter. Anthony added up all the prices and for a moment Will panicked internally, even though he had a huge part of his savings on himself. He was prepared to pay a lot; he knew Hannibal would take him to a posh boutique where just a tie costs 100$. And it would hurt to pay so much for clothes. But he also figured he could use with one suit just on special occasions. Who knew, maybe Hannibal would pay him more after he impressed everyone at the party? Or maybe someone else would hire him, offering a huge salary?

But just when Anthony elicited the sum, Hannibal took out his wallet and offered the man his credit card.

“What are you doing?” Will asked in disbelief and a bit angry.

“I’m awarding you a bonus since you’re so honest and valuable employee”

Will was somewhat touched and grateful that ‘the bonus’ didn’t have anything to do with his recent attack. Or his lack of money. At least Hannibal didn’t mention it.

“No, no. You don’t have to”

Will put his hand on Hannibal’s and he could feel a flow of electricity. The psychiatrist looked into the boy’s eyes and said in a low voice “I want to”.

Will took his hand back like he just got burnt and he shook his head in order to regain control of the situation.

“No. It’s my clothes, I pay. It’s enough you invited me to your party”

Hannibal nodded silently impressed by Will’s independence.

They bid goodbye to Anthony and exited the boutique.

“Oh, Will. I talked to Frederick. He said he’s not sure if he’ll come so I just wanted to assure you that in case of any troubles, just stick with me”

What?

“Um. Thank you. But I think I’ll be just fine. See you on Monday” Will smiled politely and entered his car.

Hannibal did the same and they drove in different directions.


	8. We belong to different parties

When Hannibal got home he made himself a drink and took a seat near a fireplace. He didn’t even feel like making dinner. The doctor went to his study and dealt with some organizing issues. He needed everything to be perfect and made sure he didn’t forget about anything.

Around eleven he went to the bathroom and took a shower. He dressed in pyjamas and lay on the bed.

Hannibal recollected the day. He remembered Will’s resistance and his maturity and that’s when it finally struck him. He knew he was becoming slightly infatuated with the boy but it wasn’t until now that he observed why.

Will was polite and clever and always knew where the line was. But he could fight for his rights and independence when he needed to. Hannibal admired it. None of his previous lovers combined those features. Maybe that’s why he didn’t settle for anyone.

The doctor realised he was touching himself. First, he caressed his chest. He felt his own ribs and played with his chest hair. His nipples hardened and he teased them with his thumb. The pyjama pants he was wearing became uncomfortably tight.

Hannibal reached inside them and took hold of his member. He closed his eyes and imagined Will lying beside him; the psychiatrist was under the illusion that it was the boy who collected the precum and smeared it over the whole length of his erection.

Hannibal turned his head in the direction of imaginary Will and felt the boy’s eyes on him. Then he felt a steady hand stroking his cock. His breathing became shallow, his cheeks reddened a little and he was happy.

‘It’s _my_ clothes, _I_ pay’ Hannibal remembered Will’s words and at the same moment he run his thumb over the slit of his member. He was so close.

He stroked faster and then shuddered as he came, whispering only one word: ‘Will’.

 

 

The next week was just as any other.

Will had waited during the weekend for any message from Frederick but none came so he let it go. He wasn’t really that fond of the psychiatrist so it wasn’t like he would be hurt.

Then, the usual work started and everything returned as it had been before the attack.

Even Hannibal seemed a bit distant again. He was polite but shied away from looking into Will’s eyes.

Anyway, Will decided to dismiss it.

 

On Saturday afternoon Will showered, shaved and dressed in his new clothes. Boss sniffed at the boy and waggled his tail happily.

“Do I look good?” Will asked the dog but posed the question rather to himself.

Boss barked. Will didn’t want to embarrass himself but he decided he’d have fun. He would meet a few posh people and who knows maybe those people would turn out to be friendly and likable. If not, he’d pretend to feel unwell and excused himself.

Yes, that’s a good plan.

 

Will had problems with parking the car as there was shortage of parking space in front of Hannibal’s house. He finally found some place and headed towards the well-lit house.

He knocked and the door opened a neatly-dressed man who let Will inside.

The boy looked for Hannibal because he bought a bottle of wine for the host (and it now seemed like a bad idea).

“Will!” dr Lecter exclaimed and approached his assistant “I’m glad you showed up”

“Yeah. Me too. Um. This is for you” the boy handed Hannibal the bottle and blushed a bit.

“Thank you. You needn’t have. Please, make yourself comfortable” Hannibal gave the bottle to another neatly-dressed man (in exactly the same uniform as the former one) and greeted the newly arrived guests.

Will indulged in some wine and small talk with a few people. Some of them looked at him with sympathy, but most of them were impressed by the way he looked. He was young, well-dressed and the slight blush on his face in combination with ridiculous eyelashes made him the attraction of the evening. Some of the people knew also about the attack and expressed their sympathy for him. Some of them tried to flirt with him (and he let them).

Hannibal didn’t take his eyes off of Will but he kept his distance. It was fascinating for the doctor to simply observe the boy.

Then the front door opened and a late guest arrived. Not many people noticed it. But Will did.

It was dr Chilton with a beautiful woman holding his arm. Her dress was bright red and cut in such a way that accentuated her breasts and revealed her smooth back.

For a moment Will’s face lost its smile but then he simply approached some people standing near the fireplace and joined the conversation.

Some time had passed and then Hannibal made his move. He approached Will and acted like the perfect host he was.

“How do you like the party, Will?”

“It’s great. The food and wine is perfect and your acquaintances seem to be brilliant people. None of them tried to psychoanalyse me or anything so I count it as a success. I even got some business cards in case you fire me” Will winked and dr Lecter knew that the boy was tipsy.

“I’m glad to hear that. Although, I don’t intend to fire you in the foreseeable future”

Will smiled and then a voice behind his back asked in a low tone.

“Will you introduce me to the fine man you’re talki- Will?” Frederick was shocked when he finally saw the boy’s face.

“I believe you know each other already” Hannibal smirked.

“I didn’t know you’d be here”

“I thought you _wouldn’t_ be here. Guess we all prepared surprises” Will smiled and looked at Hannibal who returned the smile.

Frederick noticed the gesture and frowned. He thought he had found the perfect excuse.

“I didn’t know you two were together. I guess it explains why you didn’t call me” dr Chilton said it in a tone that made Will want to punch him. Two more drinks and he probably would.

“And what’s your excuse?” Will asked, omitting to deny dating Hannibal, for now.

“I don’t have to explain myself to you” Frederick’s companion appeared and he grabbed her by her elbow and they left.

“Um. I’m sorry if-“

“There’s nothing to apologise for, Will. Dr Chilton is just that kind of man. _I_ am sorry he disappointed you”

“Well. We didn’t get on well anyway. And from what I heard tonight not many people have, actually”

“Yes. Frederick is often the reason some people don’t turn up. Anyway, I hope it didn’t ruin the evening and we’ll still have a nice time”

They shared a smile and then Will remembered not correcting Chilton when he assumed Will and Hannibal were a couple. But before he could say anything, the doctor disappeared.

 

It was getting late and many guests had already left. Hannibal approached Will who was sitting on a couch and observing a couple still dancing in the centre of the room.

“These kind of people are valuable to me. They stay here as much as they want and I take great pleasure in seeing them enjoying themselves. Whether they try to escape the reality or are just bored with everything else”

Will smiled and looked at the doctor watch his last few guests. Hannibal was aware of the boy’s eyes on him. He smirked internally and then turned to face his assistant.

“You have an eyelash on your cheek” remarked the doctor already attempting to remove said eyelash.

Will kept his eyes on the doctor’s while Hannibal’s eyes focused on his task. The psychiatrist’s hand felt warm against the boy’s skin and he probably touched his cheek longer than necessary.

Will’s eyes widened and then lost focus. Hannibal seemed amused and looked into his assistant’s eyes, who blinked after a moment.

“Um. I should probably be going” Will stood up from the couch, stumbling for a moment as he felt slightly dizzy “Thank you for the lovely evening” the boy smiled one last time and exited the doctor’s house after having shaken hands with the man.

Hannibal smirked and concluded that everything went according to his plan.


	9. You're dangerous, I'm poisonous

It seemed incredible that after such a great party, focused on bodily pleasures, people simply went to work on Monday and carried on with their lives.

When Will sat in his desk it seemed as if nothing really changed. He answered calls, completed files and let the patients in.

At eleven, a patient left and Hannibal exited his office. The doctor took his coat and approached his assistant.

“Where do you usually go during lunch, Will?” he asked politely.

“The park. I enjoy breathing in some fresh air after hours spent in here. Not that I’m complaining”

The psychiatrist looked amused.

“Do you intend to spend this break in the park as well?”

“I was going to, yes” Will answered with narrowed eyes, suspecting something.

“Would you mind if I joined you? Or are you meeting someone there?”

“No. No. You can come” he smiled and they left the building.

The walk to the park took them about ten minutes and a stop in a café where Hannibal got a coffee and a piece of pastry. They found a bench near a pond but in a fair distance from kids playing there and their parents.

“I don’t think I ever spent my break in the park. But I see the appeal”

Will smiled at the comment.

“Yeah. It’s very relaxing. I come here and think about nothing. Just breathe”

Hannibal took a sip of his coffee and watched the ducks on the pond.

“How come I haven’t seen any of your ‘friends’ lately?” Will blurted out before he could even think.

Hannibal turned to face his assistant and frowned.

“I mean, because I would presume that you’d spend lunch with them and not me and-”

“I think you pay attention to things that should not concern you” the doctor said with a warning in his tone.

“You’re absolutely right. I’m sorry”

“But you’re not wrong in stating that I haven’t been seeing anyone since I broke up with Jack” Hannibal omitted his fling with Matthew.

“Has something happened?” Will had to tread carefully there.

“I figured that I was looking for good qualities in bad people” Hannibal smiled at Will and finished his coffee.

They soon returned to the office and the rest of the day went undisturbed.

 

In the evening, Hannibal and Will exited the building, laughing, while the doctor locked the door. When Hannibal turned his head, he noticed Matthew leaning against the wall, observing the two men.

“Excuse me, Will, but I must bid you goodnight now” Hannibal stated seriously and Will’s face lost its smile.

“Of course. Goodnight, sir”

The psychiatrist frowned at the appellation. He approached Matthew who opened his arms for Hannibal.

“Matthew, you need to leave” but the boy tried to embrace the doctor and even kiss him.

“Stop that! I thought I made myself clear when I said it was over”

Will hadn’t already drove off and seeing how his boss struggled with the man, he got out.

“Is everything alright, sir?” the boy stood by the door to his car.

“Piss off!” exclaimed Matthew in the boy’s direction and resumed his attempt at kissing the doctor.

“Hey!” Will stepped closer to separate the men.

But the minute he touched Matthew, the orderly grabbed his lapels and threw him on the ground.

“Has the other night taught you nothing? Do I need to beat you again?” Matt spit on the ground near Will’s head.

The boy’s eyes widened in shock. Hannibal approached Will and wanted to help him get up but the assistant rejected the offered hand and looked at the psychiatrist with disgust.

“Did you know?” Will whispered.

“Will, let me help you stand up” was all the response.

“No, no, no. Don’t you touch me!” Will got up and hurried to his car.

“Will, wait!” Hannibal wanted to run after the boy but Matthew grabbed him and Will left quickly.

“It’s only you and me now. And I’m going to show you how much I’ve missed you”

Matthew started kissing Hannibal but the doctor pushed him and at that moment two policemen appeared. They were patrolling the area when they heard grunting and saw the two men, let’s say, having a disagreement.

“What is going on here?” one of the policemen approached Hannibal.

“Officers, I want you to arrest this man and charge him with assault”

“Is that so?” the policemen looked at the men, then exchanged looks and handcuffed both Hannibal and Matthew.

 

Will was sitting in his chair, trying to think but he couldn’t concentrate. A million thoughts flew through his brain every second and he needed a rest.

He went to the kitchen and found some whiskey. Boss followed him and barked.

“Do you want something?” the boy asked and opened the fridge.

He found a piece of sausage that he wasn’t going to eat and gave it to the dog.

Will sat by the table and took out a piece of paper and a pen. He gulped the whiskey and wrote.

He was in the middle of writing his resignation letter when he heard a knock at the front door. He went to answer it but when the door started to reveal the psychiatrist’s silhouette, Will shut it in front of his face. Hannibal had been released after two hours of investigating and went straight to the boy's house.

“Will, please, let me inside. Let me explain”

But the boy returned to the kitchen, filled a glass with water and drank it. For a moment he considered splashing the water on Hannibal’s face.

“I didn’t know it was Matthew who attacked you. I didn’t know about any of this” the doctor wouldn’t give up and kept talking through the door.

“Go home, Hannibal. I’m not talking to you”

After a while Will heard the Bentley’s engine start and the car vanished.

 

The next morning Will woke up at six because he forgot to turn off his alarm in the phone. Since he was awake, he went to the kitchen and made some coffee.

Boss waggled his tail happily behind him as he followed the boy. Will looked at the dog.

“Why did I name you Boss, goddamit? You’re going to remind me of him every time I look at you”

The dog barked at Will and the boy decided to let him out. He put on only a coat and opened the door. Boss hurried outside and ran up to a car parked in front of the house.

Hannibal’s Bentley.

Will’s eyes widened in shock and worry that maybe the doctor hadn’t left the night before, that maybe he stayed. Then, the doctor got out of the car and petted the dog who sniffed at him.

“Is it yours?” the psychiatrist asked.

“Yes. I found him one day on my porch. Thought he had his leg broken but it was only a scratch”

“I see” a pause “Will… please, let me talk to you”

The boy closed his eyes and sighed.

“Alright, come in”

They entered the house and Will led the way to the kitchen.

“Have a seat. Do you want a cup of coffee? I’ve just made some” Will offered politely.

“Yes, please”

The boy set two mugs on the table and sat down.

“Will. I’m really sorry for what happened. I didn’t know that it was Matthew. Do you think I’d take care of you then if I’d known?”

“You didn’t take me to a hospital”

“I know. I just assumed I can take better care of you and that there were no chances of catching the guy”

“You were protecting him” Will said quietly with disgust.

“I told you, I didn’t know it was him”

“That doesn’t really matter now. But I won’t risk being beaten to death by another one of your boyfriends. Here” Will handed the doctor his resignation.

Hannibal looked at the written words blankly and his face twisted in sorrow and desperation.

“I don’t accept this. I broke up with Matt and there will be no other violent ‘boyfriends’”

“I don’t care. You can fuck whoever you want. But I’m not going to be a victim of your ‘adventures’. Now, please, leave”

“Will…” but Hannibal looked into the boy’s eyes and knew there was no remedy to the whole situation.

The doctor stood up and with a resignation in hand, he exited the house. Will went behind him to let his dog in.

“Boss!”

Hannibal’s heart clenched in his chest when he heard Will and the psychiatrist turned in the boy’s direction full of hope.

“Um. Sorry. I was calling the dog” Will explained when he noticed that Hannibal turned to face him.

“You named the dog ‘Boss’”? Hannibal asked in a low voice like he didn’t believe it.

“Yeah. It seemed appropriate at the time and now it’s too late to change it”

Hannibal got in the car and left, for what Will thought would be forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soooo.... they basically broke up before they started dating xD ooops


	10. One last time

A month later Will was working for Hannibal’s colleague whom he met during the party.

His days in the office were peaceful. He spent his time completing files and correcting mistakes the former assistants had made.

At home, he played with Boss and read a lot. He thought about going back to criminology.

Everything seemed fine. Until one day his employer approached him smiling politely.

“Have you spoken to Hannibal recently?”

“No, madam”

“You know, I talked to him just yesterday. He said he regretted that you don’t work for him anymore. I don’t know what happened between you two but I see he’s hurt”

“I can’t do anything to change that. What happened had to happen. There was no other way”

“I see. Well, I hope you’ll stay here because I value your help in the office” Mrs Stanford stated in good faith.

“Thank you, madam”

 

Another month passed and one day, when Will was sitting in the living room, reading, he heard a postman managing his mailbox so he went out to see what he got.

He found a lavender envelope.

Inside, there was an invitation to Hannibal’s party. Will tore the envelope and the content and threw it into the trash can. He went back home and resumed reading.

But he had a faultless memory and remembered perfectly the date of the party.

 

Three hours before the party was going to start, he looked at Boss and rolled his eyes. Then, Will showered and shaved. He opened his wardrobe and found a suit he bought just a week earlier. It wasn’t as elegant and personalized as Anthony would have offered him, but he spent some money on it.

Will put it on and shook his head looking in the mirror.

No. He _was_ going to the party and he _was_ going to have fun. He made some friends last time and there was no reason he shouldn’t go.

 

A few minutes after seven he parked his car in front of Hannibal’s house.

He stepped in and already recognized familiar faces. One face he didn’t notice but Hannibal was there, keeping his distance, observing the boy.

The time flew. Will talked, drank and enjoyed himself.

One time, he was standing by the fireplace, listening to some men talk about their last surgery, when he looked around and noticed Hannibal in the opposite corner of the room. Their eyes met. Will felt his heart clench with sorrow but he nodded in the doctor’s direction as a form of greeting and then quickly turned his head.

Around ten Will was sitting on the familiar couch and talking to a woman, when she saw her friend leave so she excused herself. That was a perfect moment for Hannibal to make a move.

The psychiatrist sat down where the woman had sat, in a fair distance from Will.

“Are you having a nice time?” the doctor asked politely, like a good host.

“Yes, thank you for the invitation”

“You’re welcome” then, after a moment of consideration “I haven’t seen this suit”

“I bought it just a week ago”

“It’s nice”

“Thank you”

It was probably the most awkward conversation Hannibal had ever had.

“How have you been, Will?” he finally managed.

“Good. I’m working for Mrs Stanford. She’s a very organized and kind lady”

“Yes. That’s good” a pause “Are you seeing anyone?”

“No. Are you?”

“No. I try to avoid troubles for the moment” Hannibal smiled faintly and Will followed.

“That’s good. 

“Excuse me, I need to tend to the other guests” the doctor stood up and vanished form Will’s sight.

After an hour Will decided to leave. He bid goodbye to the remaining guests and approached the front door.

When he was about to leave, Hannibal hurried to the door and stopped him. He was carrying an envelope.

“Farewell, Will. I hope you enjoyed the evening and we’ll see each other soon” the doctor shook the boy’s hand, gave him the envelope and opened the door for him.

Will frowned but entered his car and drove back home.


	11. Sincerely yours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry i didn't take the advice about writing Hannibal's POV :( but i'll explain a few things in the next chapter ;)

Will lay down on the couch and looked at the ceiling. He thought about the evening and Hannibal. He looked handsome but a bit worried.

Will turned his head to the envelope on the table. What was it? Should he open it?

He looked back at the ceiling and fell asleep.

He woke up the next morning and the envelope was still lying there. He took it and went to the kitchen to make breakfast. He made a sandwich and a tea and sat down. Boss came to the kitchen and looked at Will.

“Here we go” Will said as he opened the lavender envelope.

Inside there was a letter.

 

              _Dear Will,_

_I regret not having you around anymore. I know you’re building a better future for yourself and I’m glad._

_I took very seriously what you said and I decided not to see anyone in the nearest future. I think I need a rest too. I hope one day whatever it is standing between us now will fall and we will be friendly again. I know I may have treated you harshly at the beginning but then I realised something._

_I was looking for the right things in the wrong people. That day when you met dr Chilton and you got on so well at once made me regret that it wasn’t me. I enjoyed our outings for lunch and I miss them very much._

_I’m not sure if you’re even aware what you’ve done to me, Will._

_Sincerely yours, Hannibal_

 

Will felt as his eyes became wet and he folded the letter to put it on the table. He stood with blank expression on his face and wondered.

Boss approached him and whined, which brought Will back to reality.

“Do you think I should...call him?”

Will took out his phone and found Hannibal’s number. He looked at Boss and again at the phone. It was almost 9; the doctor shouldn’t be sleeping anymore. Will dialled the number.

Two signals.

“Hello, Will” the boy could hear uncertainty in the psychiatrist’s voice.

“Hi” a pause “Listen, I’ve just read your letter. And I… God, I don’t know what I wanted to say…”

“I meant it. I suspected I wouldn’t be able to talk to you at the party so I had written everything”

“I appreciate it” another pause “Hannibal, do you have any plans for today?”

“Not really, no. I was going to relax and prepare some questions for the applicants for the university”

“Can I disturb your relaxation?” Will asked innocently.

“I would hope so”

“Let’s meet. For lunch. In the park”

“With pleasure. At noon?”

“Alright. See you there”

“See you soon”

 

Hannibal was sitting on the bench (they had sat on the other day) from about a quarter to twelve. He was watching people on bikes and kids playing nearby when Will approached him.

Hannibal smiled in the boy’s direction as a form of hello. Will smiled back faintly and sat down next to the psychiatrist.

“I missed this, too” said Will staring in the distance and avoiding looking at Hannibal.

They sat there quietly for another minute and then Will broke the silence again.

“You said you would be examining university candidates?”

“Yes. A very unpleasant experience. In the field of criminology, as you certainly know, you need knowledge and a particular type of intelligence, which most of them simply lack”

“Wait, are you saying you’ll be examining applicants for criminology?” Will’s eyes widened.

“Yes. I’m a psychiatrist and the university asked me to confirm, or not, the candidates’ mental stability” Hannibal stated with amusement and distaste at his own words.

Will sighed and then laughed. The doctor frowned and stared at the boy.

“Well then. It seems like our paths are just destined to cross” the young man remarked, unaware of the sparks in his own eyes.

“What do you mean?”

“I decided to go back to criminology”

Hannibal smiled widely.

“I’m glad to hear that. I’m sure you’ll do fine”

“Yeah, but I’m not so positive about you fumbling around in my head. Do you think it’s appropriate that you examine me?”

“I know you, Will. It only makes things easier. I can affirm your mental well-being without actually conducting any tests”

“Yeah but won’t your opinion be invalid since we know each other?” his tone expressed genuine worry.

“No one has to know” Hannibal winked at Will and the boy blushed.

“I thought you were going to stay out of trouble” Will’s tone was much more flirtatious then he intended it to be.

“I may just let myself indulge in this one”

They talked a bit more and then left the park. Will stopped and turned to face Hannibal.

“Thank you for meeting me. I had a nice time”

“Likewise”

“So I guess we’ll see each other during the examination on Thursday?”

“That’s right”

Will put his hand on the doctor’s arm and stoked it lightly in a friendly gesture.

Hannibal wanted to close his eyes and lose himself in the intimate moment but a second later the hand was gone and Will along with it.

 

 

Will bit his lips and paced along the corridor. He was never acutely nervous and he had been studying a lot so he wasn’t really afraid of the results of the tests.

What he was scared as hell of was the meeting with Hannibal. How was he supposed to behave? Should he act all friendly and nice or should he pretend like it’s the first time he saw the man?

There was no more time for meditation as the door opened and Hannibal asked Will politely to come inside. There was the everlasting miniature smile on his face again.

There was no one else in the room. Anything could happen.

They sat down and Hannibal waited.

“Do you want it to go the easy way or the not-so-easy way?”

“I always liked a challenge” Will smiled a bit wider and they began.

Hannibal asked him many questions – about his psychology studies, about his approach to work in criminology later and a few personal questions.

The doctor remained professional till the last second of the examination. He thanked Will for coming and let him out.

The boy was impressed by the psychiatrist’s behaviour. He left the building and stopped at a café opposite the university. He waited there. Then he thought through his plan and decided to call it off. He went home.


	12. I offer a distraction

Will came back home and let out Boss. He watched the dog run and waggle his tail happily. The chill late afternoon air was refreshing. It made him feel alive.

Will felt different and he thought that Hannibal seemed a bit different, too. But what if he get himself into trouble by following his instincts? Maybe he should forget about the story with the doctor and built himself a new life.

Then a ringtone brought him back and he looked at the screen of his phone.

“Yes?” Will asked a bit hesitantly.

“Hello again. I hope I’m not interrupting anything?”

“No, I’m just enjoying the weather” Will chuckled.

“Oh? Forgive me if I’m being too intrusive and if you feel like I impose but would you accept my dinner invitation for tomorrow evening?”

A second of silence. He was going to ask the doctor the same thing.

“Yes, of course”

“I was thinking you could come at eight. Unless you want to come earlier and … help? I could teach you some tricks in the kitchen”

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll steal your secrets and reveal them to the public?” flirtatious again.

“Come at seven” Will imagined Hannibal smile and smirked.

“As you wish”

 

Will appeared at Hannibal’s doorstep exactly at seven. He checked for the thousandth time if his jacket didn’t have any creases or stains and pressed the bell-push.

Will didn’t even hear the light footsteps as Hannibal approached the door to answer it.

“Good evening, Will” the doctor said politely.

“Good evening” the boy wanted to be taken seriously so he decided to act maturely.

Hannibal took Will’s jacket and hanged it. Then, he led the way to the kitchen,

“I thought you would be the most comfortable with managing vegetables”

“Always so organized and prepared” Will teased as he stepped closer to the counter and handled the knife.

“Always” the psychiatrist smiled.

“I never got to ask – have you hired anyone to take my place?”

“No” a single, yet oddly telling response.

Will started to chop the tomatoes and Hannibal stirred the meat on the pan.

“I saw you yesterday, after the examination. In the café”

The doctor tried to test the waters. He was curious whether Will would confirm his suspicions or deny it completely.

“Oh, yes. I needed to relax and eat something sweet”

So not a total denial.

“Were you nervous?”

“A bit. The examination still determines my future at the university. Or lack of its existence”

“Aren’t you aware that you passed?”

“Is it official or are you implying something?” Will narrowed his eyes.

“No, I informed the university about the results and they sent letters to all the candidates at once”

“Well, it was only yesterday so I guess I’ll receive it at least on Monday”

Hannibal nodded and observed Will. The boy remained calm and kept chopping and slicing various vegetables.

“Did you know I was going back to criminology?”

“Of course, you told me that last week. Don’t you remember?” Hannibal smiled.

“I mean, before we met. Had Mrs Stanford told you?”

“You suspect I knew and _that’s_ why I decided to be the examiner”

It wasn’t a question. It was reading Will’s mind. The boy glanced at the doctor in a challenging manner.   
Hannibal sighed. He decided telling the trust would be the best option.

“I knew”

Will nodded and carried on with the vegetables.

“But I didn’t volunteer to be the one to conduct the examination. The university asked me for help and I told them I’d consider. I feared it could make you uncomfortable”

“And you invited me to the party. To check if I was ok with it. But then you failed to bring up the subject”

“So I wrote a letter”

“Which again didn’t mention anything on the topic” Will grew suspicious.

“I hope you’d call me and we’d meet”

“And what if I didn’t? What if the subject didn’t come up _again_?”

“I’d resign from examining the candidates altogether”

Will wondered. Was Hannibal all about his mental comfort and this was only friendship or could he count on something more? Will was angry at himself because he still didn’t get rid of his uncomfortable crush.

They finished preparing dinner and Hannibal took the plates and went to the dining room. Will followed.

The doctor placed the plates on the table, retrieved two glasses from the cupboard and filled them with wine. He set them next to the plates.

The men sat down and began their meal. Will was stunned by the quality of the food.

“This is delicious”

“Thank you” Hannibal accepted the compliment with a polite smile. He watched the boy savour another pieces of the food.

Minute of silence.

“Don’t you get bored with this perfection?” Will teased.

“One can never get bored with something they love” Will noticed the silently implied ambiguity in the sentence.

He blushed. There was no simple conversation with this man.

“You believe in eternal love?” Will teased and it was supposed to throw the doctor off balance.

Hannibal only smiled in the boy’s direction and his eyes bored into Will.

“I am aware you don’t consider me a romantic, but yes – I do believe in eternal love. Not necessarily towards another person but even to an object or an idea”

Will nodded. He knew what Hannibal meant; he sometimes felt like he was in love with ‘just a thing’.

But the topic was fairly dangerous and Will decided to change it swiftly.

“Do you really think it’s good I go back into criminology?”

Hannibal smirked internally. He noticed Will’s discomfort and chose to follow the conversation wherever Will would lead it.

“I think that you wouldn’t do that if _you_ thought it’s a bad idea”

Will lifted the corner of his mouth but his face failed to hide the uncertainty.

“Are you not sure you made the right decision?”

“Yeah. I mean… I liked it the last time and the studies are very interesting. I am only afraid that I may not know when to stop this time and that I may finally end up in a psychiatric ward” Will smiled awkwardly.

“I see” a pause “I suppose the psychological evaluation once a year is not enough”

“Far from enough” Will chuckled.

“Will, please don’t be startled but what would you say if I saw you every now and then? As a friend, not a psychiatrist. I could offer a reasonable distraction – a dinner, walk in the park, whatever you wish. Just to take dislocate your overworked mind”

Will swallowed. He couldn’t say he didn’t like the idea. But accept it straight away?

“That’s very kind of you” Hannibal smiled warmly “But let me think on that”

“Of course”

They finished the dinner and Will declined politely to stay a bit more for ‘one more drink’. He needed to go home.


	13. Intoxicate me

_“I love you”_

_“You know it won’t work. We’re in completely different places in this relationship”_

_“No. You don’t understand…”_

_“It’ll be probably best if we stopped seeing each other”_

Will was lying on his bed watching some movie on tv and stroking Boss’ back. The couple on the screen was fighting and then quickly making up. He looked at the screen blankly, thinking about Hannibal’s offer.

He needed a friend. Someone who would gauge him to reality. Someone who would challenge him but at the same time someone whose presence would be relaxing. If Will wrote down the features he was looking for, the doctor would meet all the criteria.

Will closed his eyes and shortly after fell asleep.

 

 

Will started studying at the university and this meant he needed to cut his hours spent at the office. Fortunately, Mrs Stanford was a very understanding woman and she agreed to make Will’s working hours more flexible.

Will met Hannibal from time to time for coffee or dinner but it had nothing to do with distracting from the studies. He was actually pretty content with it.

Their friendship progressed. They talked about stuff at work and at the university, Hannibal taught Will some more dishes but after some time their conversations turned more dark and intimate.

It was Hannibal who made this turn. He began by asking one or two questions about psychology and his studies. Then he wanted to hear Will elaborate on those topics and the questions became philosophical and controversial. It reached a point when it was a bit too much for Will.

 

The boy knocked at Hannibal’s front door and waited. He was carrying take out.

“Hello, Will” the doctor greeted the boy as he opened the door for him to step in.

When Hannibal noticed the bags in Will’s arms, he frowned.

“Today will be simple. I brought take out and we will play a movie and comment on how stupid it is” Will grinned and hurried to the living room.

Hannibal followed, taking off his jacket to comply with the less formal manner of their meeting. Then he saw himself in the black screen of the tv and the waistcoat he was wearing seemed still too official so he got rid of it as well.

Will managed the DVD and pressed play. He didn’t really care about the movie; he only wanted something resounding in the background (that was not classical music for once).

Hannibal fetched plates and served the take out.

Will didn’t even bother to sit on the couch. He took his place on the floor and accepted the plate. Hannibal frowned but then smiled and seated himself next to the boy.

The movie was indeed stupid and far-fetched but as much as it annoyed Hannibal, he was more interested in Will and didn’t pay much attention to what actually happened on the screen.

Since the atmosphere was supposed to be familiar and as informal as possible, the doctor brought also a bottle of whiskey and two glasses.

They sat on the floor, laughed at the absurdity of the film and drank.

“Hey, how about we drink every time someone says ‘actually’?” Will suggested halfway through the movie, already tipsy.

Hannibal was about to answer when a person on the screen said ‘actually’.

“Starting from now” and Will gulped his whiskey. Hannibal followed suit.

It was both a good and bad idea since the word appeared quite often and by the end of the movie they were severely drunk. They ended up lying on the floor with their heads next to each other.

Will inhaled loudly.

“You smell like forest” he stated seriously in a low tone.

Hannibal smiled and turned his head to look at the boy, who had his eyes closed.

“Is it good or bad?”

“It reminds me of my house. I feel safe there” Will answered absent-mindedly and yawned.

Hannibal remained conscious and aware of his surroundings despite being intoxicated. He was sleepy as well and wanted to go bring a blanket but his limbs felt incredibly heavy.

The doctor grabbed Will’s hand and lifted it, interweaving their fingers. He stared at the connection and heard light snoring. The psychiatrist smiled and carefully put away Will’s hand.

 

_Extremely heavy eyelids. Headache. Hammers and needles piercing his skull._

Will woke up and was painfully aware he was hung-over. He tried to put the pieces together but he couldn’t even remember the pieces. He groaned and stretched.

_Unusually soft bed. Fresh sheets that smelled like a summer day in Italy._

Something was not right. Where was he, exactly?

Will opened his eyes (not without effort) and looked around. It was difficult as the curtains were successfully preventing the sunlight from engulfing the room.

A familiar surroundings; he recognised the paintings and knew - he had been there before.

_Hannibal’s guestroom._

Will turned his head and noticed a glass of water and two pills on the nightstand. Good. He took the pills and swallowed them with along with the water. He stood up and left the room.

There was a sweet smell in the air and Will followed it straight to the kitchen. He saw Hannibal make pancakes. The doctor noticed the boy and smiled faintly.

“Hello, Will. I would ask you how you feel but it’s written all over your face” Hannibal tried to speak quietly. He _knew_ how Will felt because he was in no better condition.

“Yeah. We might have drunk _a bit_ too much” Will sat on a stool on the other side of the counter from Hannibal.

“I left you an aspirin. Did you take it?” the doctor asked.

“Yeah. Thank you”

“No problem. We’ll eat and in no time we’ll be better” Hannibal assured Will with a wide (but slightly painful) smile.

They ate the pancakes and Hannibal offered to drive Will back home.

“It’s really not necessary. I know you don’t feel good either and I don’t want to impose”

But Hannibal wouldn’t listen and somehow Will ended up in the psychiatrist’s Bentley. And then at home.

“We’ll see at lunch tomorrow?” Hannibal asked when Will got out of the car and he was about to leave.

“Um. I’m sorry but I’m going somewhere with my study group for lunch. Maybe on Tuesday?”

“It’s alright. Call me when you’re available”

“Sure” a warm smile.

Then Hannibal disappeared from the fog that surrounded Will’s house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a bit fast forward and i think there will be 2 or 3 more chapters ;)  
> i'm already thinking about a new story


	14. I really like you

The next day Will spent the lunch break with his colleagues from the university. He became very friendly with some of them and he liked spending time with them. It was a part of his life that had nothing to do with Hannibal and Will considered it refreshing.

During classes Will texted Hannibal to come to his house that evening for dinner. Hannibal read the text and smiled. He had liked the boy for some time and, well, he even masturbated to the thought of him. And his heart always skipped a beat at the mention of Will’s name or at anything connected to the young man.

Hannibal put the phone away and greeted the next patient.

 

After classes one of Will’s colleagues stopped him. It was Brian, whom Will liked best there and they got on really well. It seemed like they had a lot in common.

“Will! Hey, I almost forgot. I’m throwing a small party on Friday. Just a couple of friends. Are you coming?”

“Um. Sure. What time does it start?”

“Be there at eight. I’ll text you my address”

“Alright. See you”

 

At seven Will heard a car driving up. He was in the kitchen making dinner. He thought spaghetti would be the best choice since he didn’t have much time and it was fairly easy to cook.

Hannibal knocked and the first one to welcome him was Boss who jumped at the doctor the second Will opened the door.

“Boss! Come on, living room! Now!” Will tried to calm the dog and set him somewhere where he wouldn’t disturb the dinner “I’m sorry about him. Come in”

“It’s quite alright. I’m glad he likes me” Hannibal smiled.

They went into the kitchen and Will served them dinner.

“Would you like some tea? I’d offer whiskey but I think you agree that we should give up alcohol for some time” Will winked.

“I do. And tea would be lovely, thank you”

Will put the kettle on the stove and at the same moment the phone in his pocket beeped to signal a newly received text message. He looked at the screen. It was his Brian. He sent him the address. Will put the phone away and sat down.

“Sorry. It’s a friend from the university. He invited me to the party on Friday” Will explained.

“That’s nice” Hannibal smiled politely but his lips twitched and Will knew something was wrong.

They ate the meal in silence and then did the dishes together. Hannibal seemed a bit distant and when Will suggested they go to the living room, he politely declined, explaining that he had patients early in the morning.

The doctor thanked Will for the lovely meal and a nice evening and vanished behind the door.

Will lay on the couch and wondered what was the reason behind the psychiatrist’s quick escape and his bad mood. Could he be jealous?

_Yeah, dream on._

Will let out Boss one last time, then turned off all the lights and went to bed. He found it difficult to fall asleep.

 

Will didn’t meet or even hear from Hannibal again that week and he became worried. Did he do something wrong?

Will was preparing for the party in front of the mirror. He had shaved and showered and then he was trying different shirts. He was pretty content with the final effect. The forest green shirt and pale jeans suited him.

Suddenly he heard a beep from somewhere under the pile of shirts on the bed.

‘Have a nice evening, Will’

Hannibal texted him and wished him a nice evening? What was happening? Was he overreacting? Maybe nothing was wrong…

Will took the keys, locked the door and got in the car. He checked again his phone for the address and left.

 

He appeared at the given address a few minutes before eight. He was about to knock when the door opened and revealed Brian.

“Hi! I’m so glad you came” the man embraced Will and let him in.

“Am I the first one to arrive?” asked Will hanging his jacket and seeing no other clothes.

“Yes. And I’m afraid the only” Brian smiled innocently “One of my friends got sick, another is moving houses and yet another said he’ll be late but I assume he won’t make it at all”

“Oh. Sorry it turned out that way. Should I leave then?”

“Are you kidding? No way! We’re going to have fun tonight. I promise” Brian put his arm around Will and led the way to the living room.

“Alright”

There were beer cans and snacks on the table and a music channel on tv provided pleasant noise in the background. They sat down on the couch and opened first cans.

They talked and joked about their lecturers and the colleagues they didn’t like. There were also comments on some of the last classes and other events at the university.

After three cans of beer Will noticed Brian’s attempts to sit closer or casually touch. Brian acted like a good friend and laughed every time they bumped into each other, pretending it was just a silly accident. Will started to suspect something but then assumed that he was probably exaggerating, again.

“Oh, um. You have something under your eye”

They were sitting on the couch and Brian put his hand on Will’s cheek to get rid of the little something. He moved his fingers carefully and caressed the soft skin. Brian licked his lips while Will narrowed his eyes. He was tipsy but he was aware of what was to come.

Brian leaned in and connected their lips. Will let himself be kissed only for a second before he pulled away.

“I’m sorry, Brian. I’m not interested”

Brian seemed a bit shocked and then sad but he smiled faintly.

“I’m sorry. It thought… I heard you were single… and I really like you, Will”

“I like you, too, Brian. But as a friend... And I’m already seeing someone” Will explained, wondering if he was lying or not.

“Oh. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry”

“It’s alright” Will was already standing up “I should probably leave”

“No! I mean… I don’t want it to be awkward now” Brian blushed out of embarrassment.

“It won’t be. Let’s forget about it and be friends” Will smiled reassuringly and Brian returned the smile.

Will took his jacket from the hanger, put it on and then embraced Brian.

“Thank you for the nice evening. I’ll see you at classes”

“Thanks. Bye”

Will got in the car and started the engine.


	15. I belong to you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh God it was so tiring to write x__x

It was a few minutes past eleven. Will parked the car and waited a moment. He looked at the house before him, closed his eyes and sighed. He was going to risk it all.

Will got out of the car and knocked at the door. His heart was pounding in his chest.

_Light footsteps. Door unlocking. The turn of the doorknob._

“Good evening, Will” Hannibal frowned but let the man in regardless.

“Hi” Will said quietly and stepped inside.

Hannibal closed the door behind him and the second he turned, Will’s warm and soft lips were on his and there was a hand on his cheek.

The doctor kissed Will back and put his hands on the boy’s hips. He leaned Will against the wall and kissed him passionately. The psychiatrist’s mouth moved to the boy’s chin and then neck. Will had his eyes closed and he moved his head back as much as he could to give Hannibal better access. They both moaned quietly.

Then Hannibal kissed Will’s lips again, a bit more delicately this time like he was trying to put out the fire inside him.

“What happened, Will?” the doctor said between kisses “Why did you come here?”

Will put his hands on both sides of Hannibal’s face and they stopped kissing altogether. He looked into the psychiatrist’s eyes and licked his lips. The doctor’s pupils were dilated to the level that his eyes were a complete darkness and like a black hole absorbed the rest of the room.

“Will I end up in _your bedroom_ this time?” Will whispered.

Hannibal smirked and grabbed the boy’s hand. He led them upstairs to a room Will had never been in before. The psychiatrist closed the door behind him and approached Will. He put his hands on the boy’s shoulders still covered by the forest green shirt.

“Tell me. Tell me everything” Hannibal said in a low and erotic tone while kissing Will’s neck and unbuttoning the boy’s shirt.

“There was no party” a quiet moan “A friend tricked me” a pant “He wanted it to be a date”

Hannibal snapped. He frowned and the darkness in his eyes turned predatory. Will smirked, then threw Hannibal on the bed and slowly moved to cover the doctor’s body with his own. He felt victorious.

“He kissed me” Will said provocatively while taking off Hannibal’s t-shirt.

The doctor groaned and maneuverer his fist into the boy’s hair to pull hard at it.

There he was. The jealous, dangerous and possessive psychiatrist that Will had known.

The younger man wore a mischievous grin. He grabbed the doctor’s hand and tried to twist it.

“But I told him I _belonged_ to someone else” Will whispered, knowing it would work.

And it did. Hannibal’s heart clenched in his chest and his cock twitched in his pyjama pants. He turned the boy so that the doctor was now on top. He took hold of Will’s wrists and pinned them on both sides of Will’s head. He kissed the boy’s neck and bit it lightly. Will tried to refrain from moaning but lost sounds of ecstasy found their way to be let out.

Hannibal smiled and kissed Will’s shoulder gently while he entangled his fingers in Will’s soft curls. He was amazed by the whole image – Will lying before him and surrendering to all kinds of pleasure Hannibal had to offer.

Will was glad Hannibal was fairly gentle but he imagined the doctor would be a rather passionate lover.

Hannibal caressed Will’s chest with his fingertips like he was following a pattern; a painting presumably. Suddenly, the fingers brushed over a sensitive spot and Will started giggling and squirming under the psychiatrist’s body.

“Why Will, are you ticklish?” Hannibal smirked.

“Please, don’t” Will begged with horror in his eyes.

But Hannibal’s fingers ghosted again over the spot making Will hold his breath. The doctor kissed the boy, sucking the air out of his lungs. Hannibal’s hands went farther down and stopped at Will’s belt.

“Shall I?” he asked looking in Will’s eyes.

“Why are you being so careful?” the boy frowned and kissed Hannibal passionately again, squeezing his hand resting on his belt.

“I’m merely making sure you are absolutely certain about this”

“Oh, I’ve been ‘absolutely certain about this’ for quite some time. Now stop talking and-“

Hannibal suddenly yanked Will’s trousers and got rid of them in one smooth motion. Then he discarded his own clothes. The only remaining piece of clothing was Will’s boxers.

“That’s more like it” Will smirked.

Hannibal began to kiss Will’s legs. He bent the boy’s knees and positioned himself between them. He mouthed higher at Will’s thighs while the young man tried to control his breathing. Hannibal could smell Will’s arousal still confined in his boxers and he savoured every second of it.

The doctor hooked his fingers in the elastic of Will’s boxers and kissed the patch of hair right above it. The boy entangled his fingers in Hannibal’s hair and responded loudly to the touch.

Hannibal revealed the boy’s hip, kissed it and bit it playfully. Then the other hip was struck with slightly colder air as the thin material was no longer covering it.

Will shut his eyes tight when the steady hands lowered the boxers further and released his impatient manhood.

Hannibal sat on his ankles and got rid of the remaining piece of clothing. Then the doctor covered the boy’s body with his own, leaving feather light kisses all over the newly discovered flesh. He stopped at Will’s mouth, kissing it gently.

“I hope you won’t be offended by my question but have you ever been penetrated?” Hannibal whispered and even in the moment of heated passion he remain fairly composed.

“I hope you won’t be offended by my answer but you’re not my first” Will mimicked the doctor but his voice was far more unfocused.

Hannibal chuckled and then reached to the nightstand to get a bottle of lube and a condom. He put the items next to Will’s hip and then looked at the delicious sight before him. The doctor caressed Will’s sides with the back of his hand and kissed the head of Will’s cock. The boy moaned and shivered. His experience with sex was satisfactory but he hadn’t done it in what seemed to him such a long time. When the doctor mouthed at his balls, Will arched his back and almost screamed.

“Han- ahhh… Hannibal” the last word was barely a whisper and the whole utterance a warning.

The doctor moved his mouth lower and found the ring of muscles. He kissed it.

A loud exhalation. A loud inhalation.

Hannibal traced Will’s muscles and tendons in Will’s thigh with his fingertips while insistently licking Will’s hole. The doctor made great use of his lips and tongue, bringing the boy to ecstasy and elation.

Hannibal grabbed Will’s legs under his knees and raised them. Will felt utterly exposed but tried to keep still and keep his legs up. Hannibal’s tongue licked at the pink entrance and then the doctor crossed the threshold. Will almost cried out.

No one had ever done this to him and it felt strangely intimate. He sighed, inhaled, moaned, while Hannibal worked him on the soft bed.

Then the room became silent.

All writhing and whining stopped. Will relaxed but quickly looked around to comprehend what was happening. Hannibal took the bottle with lube and covered his fingers with the liquid. Will held his breath waiting for the inevitable. His eyes closed to register only touch, to focus simply on the doctor’s hands.

Hannibal watched the boy and smiled. Will was so independent and so confident, yet now he was decorating the doctor’s bed so beautifully, lying there, being spread and willing, surrendering.

Hannibal moved up and kissed Will’s neck gently. Then he pressed their lips together in a warm reassuring gesture. Hannibal massaged Will’s entrance gently, making it wet and pliant.

Will pulled back from the kiss for a second, looked into Hannibal’s eyes and smiled back. Hannibal took advantage of the moment and thrust a finger inside the boy, watching Will open his mouth in silent amazement.

Hannibal was careful and slow, unlike Will had imagined he’d be. The finger penetrated him gently; it moved in and out and was soon joined by another one. This gave Will a taste of what was to come and made him shiver. The stretch was greater now and he found it more and more difficult to relax. He bared his teeth when he breathed in.

“Shhh…” Hannibal tried to calm him.

The doctor watched the boy’s reaction and withdrawn the fingers. Will breathed out and Hannibal could swear he saw the boy’s lungs as his chest collapsed. The psychiatrist waited on top of the boy and kissed his chest.

“I’m alright. I’m sorry. I’m alright…” Will murmured.

Hannibal placed a gentle kiss on the boy’s lips.

“There's no need to rush. We’ll take it slow” the doctor smiled reassuringly and looked into Will’s eyes.

“No, I want-“

“Shhh… Don’t move” the doctor smirked and lowered himself to kiss Will’s cock again.

The boy watched Hannibal devour his hard member. And the doctor apparently vowed internally to bring Will to climax no matter what because he licked and sucked on Will’s cock simultaneously massaging and squeezing his balls. The boy moaned and writhed on the soft sheets until his body ultimately tensed and then relaxed with a loud exhalation while his cock released white seed straight into Hannibal’s throat.

The doctor closed his eyes to taste Will and hummed in delight. The room went silent and still like the time stopped. Then Hannibal kissed Will’s sensitive and softening member one last time and moved up to lie beside the boy.

Will came to and opened his eyes. He noticed Hannibal next to him and observing him with a slightly amused expression. His cock was still hard.

Will rolled on the psychiatrist’s body and kissed his mouth. Their hips met and Will felt Hannibal’s cock on his lower abdomen. The boy closed his eyes and groaned. Then he reached behind him and took hold of the hard flesh. Will positioned it by his entrance and moved his body to meet the fully erect manhood. Hannibal was stunned - Will took control over him completely, even in sex.

When the tip was inside Will, the boy bared his teeth again but kept pushing the cock further in. Hannibal tried to control his breathing while watching Will in amazement and admiration.

Will impaled himself on Hannibal’s cock fully and put his hands on the doctor’s chest. When he adjusted, he pulled on the grayish chest hair playfully and smirked. Hannibal smiled and moved his hips a little, which made Will moan softly. He was still sensitive and overstimulated but he began moving on top of Hannibal.

They established a slow rhythm which the doctor quickly changed as he was approaching his orgasm. Will’s cock hardened too and the boy closed his eyes in a painful expression but never stopped moving his hips.

Hannibal held his breath and when he finally released the air from his lungs Will felt a seed filling him inside. The doctor grabbed the boy’s cock and after two short pumps Will came as well and collapsed on Hannibal’s body covered in his own mess.

They lay like that for a few minutes, smiling and waiting for their breaths and heartbeats to stabilize. Hannibal opened his eyes and noticed the still wrapped condom on the bed.

“You forgot something” he chuckled.

Will followed the doctor’s gaze and snorted. He kissed Hannibal and slowly rolled off beside the doctor, who stroked his cheek.

“Are you alright?” Hannibal asked mildly concerned.

“Are you kidding? It was great. But we should probably get in the shower now” Will said looking at the mess on Hannibal’s chest and already standing up.

The doctor fetched a spare pyjama pants and took Will by the hand to the bathroom. They showered together, gently caressing their spent bodies and soaping each other. Then Will put on Hannibal’s pyjama pants which were a bit too loose and hung on his hips in a most delicious way. The doctor kept his hand on Will’s ass while they returned to the bedroom and Will kept smiling.

The men lay in bed; Hannibal spooning Will and kissing gently his neck.

The boy had a very important question to ask but it could wait till the next day.


	16. Leave

Hannibal woke up as the sun beamed through the windows. He was still in an embrace with Will and smiled at it. The doctor smelled the boy’s hair and neck and kissed it very gently not to wake the boy. Hannibal was tempted to go and make breakfast and maybe bring it to bed but he also wanted to stay engulfed in Will’s scent as long as he could.

The light snoring stopped and then Hannibal heard a slight gasp as Will awoke. The boy felt a hand still on his chest and smiled. He turned slowly but noticed that the doctor was no longer asleep and they lay facing each other.

“Good morning, Will” said Hannibal in a low and slightly erotic way.

“Hello there” the boy smiled and stroked Hannibal’s arm still covered by the duvet.

The doctor returned the smile and wrinkles appeared around his eyes. He covered the boy’s hand with his own, then took hold of it and kissed the wrist. Will shivered. He didn’t really want to tackle the issue while lying in bed but...

“What now, Hannibal?” Will asked shyly.

“Now, I’m going to make you tea and a delicious breakfast. I was thinking pancakes? With chocolate cream?” the doctor was smiling sincerely but that wasn’t the answer Will was looking for.

The boy didn’t pursue further. Hannibal kissed him, a soft press of lips on lips; then they stood up and went downstairs to the kitchen. The psychiatrist started to open particular cabinets to take out necessary utensils while Will tended to the kettle. They glanced at each other, smiled and winked when one caught the other in the act. Will made tea and Hannibal served pancakes.

The doctor observed Will intensively until the boy felt creeped out, turned to face Hannibal and raised one eyebrow questioningly.

“The thing you said yesterday…” the psychiatrist started.

“Yes?”

“You don’t _belong_ to me. You are your own. And that’s why I adore you so much. Knowing I will never possess you makes me desire you even more”

Will smiled at the words and blushed.

“But you crave being the one in control, don’t you?” the boy challenged.

Hannibal felt like he was falling in love with Will’s every word.

“Yes” he decided that this one word was enough.

Will grinned and they finished breakfast. The boy helped clean everything and then they went to the bedroom to change. When Hannibal was tying a double Windsor, Will came from behind and embraced the doctor.

“What would we do if I stayed?” he asked quietly.

The psychiatrist turned around and kissed Will.

“I’d take you for a walk. We’d make dinner… Or we’d write notes to leave behind while we’d fly to Paris”

Will’s eyes widened in shock but then he smiled and raised his eyebrows; he found the idea unrealistic.

“And I must say I _really_ like the idea. I don’t see why we can’t do this” the psychiatrist stated seriously while taking Will’s wrist and kissing it.

“Yeah? I can tell you a few reasons” the boy attempted to ground Hannibal even though he didn’t believe they’d actually leave.

“I’m listening”

“Well for once I have a dog”

“We’ll take him to a shelter. They’ll find him a new owner who’ll take care of him” Hannibal was speaking as if this was already settled.

“What about our jobs? My studies?” Will started to fear Hannibal really meant what he said.

“I have enough money to provide for us till the very day we die. And if you insist on continuing your education, you can do it in Paris”

The whole idea set in Will’s mind and he started to consider it. There was one more thing, though.

“What if you get bored with me?” Will asked very quietly and Hannibal kissed his forehead in response.

“Come. Let’s go. Our flight leaves at five” the doctor took still confused Will by the hand, grabbed a suitcase waiting near a wardrobe and locked the front door after they had left the house.

They drove to Will’s with the boy remaining quiet and puzzled and looking out the window in the car.

“I always keep a packed suitcase in case I need to leave suddenly” Hannibal explained but Will was too disoriented to listen and comprehend.

The doctor put his hand on Will’s knee and then caressed his thigh.

“Is everything alright, Will? Is it going too fast?”

“I’ve been reasonable all my life and it’s just weird to do something like that” Will said with his head turned to the window but his eyes unfocused.

“Do you not want to go?”

Will looked at the hand on his thigh and remembered their walks in the park and every conversation and he suddenly realised he got rid of the unfortunate crush. The fact that it developed into friendship and into something more solid made Will warm inside. He knew the answers to all the questions. Will covered the psychiatrist’s hand with his own and squeezed it. Hannibal smiled content.

The doctor parked the car in front of Will’s house and the boy hurried to his bedroom to pack. Hannibal get Boss in the car and then interrupted Will.

“Here” the doctor handed Will a notebook “I’ll be waiting in the car”

Will frowned, accepted the item and watched Hannibal disappear from the bedroom. The boy examined the notebook and wondered if he should open it. He turned the first page and paled when he realized what he was holding.

It was a list of Hannibal’s every lover along with their phone numbers and addresses. And the psychiatrist gave it to him.

Will understood it was a form of ‘I love you’ and a kind of confession. He didn’t check all the names nor did he count them. He approached the fireplace and started the fire. Then he threw the notebook into flames and took a deep breath. It was brave and risky of Hannibal to dispense with such a shameful item. But it was the ultimate test if Will was ready to leave with him.

And he was.

Will left the house and got into the car. He behaved as if nothing happened.

“Ready when you are” the boy said when he fastened his seatbelt.

Hannibal kissed Will and surged to the airport.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if anyone is still reading this, i have a question - ? do You want me to stop here and leave it at happy ending or should I write a few more chapters because i may have an idea to make it bad xD again xD


	17. What's dead should stay dead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my imagination ran riot (as Hugh once beautifully said) and this is the result ^^  
> i have an idea for an ending and i hope You'll like it :)

Hannibal parked the car in front of the airport. The men had left Boss in a shelter saying they had found him on their way home.

Hannibal got out of the car and took their luggage. Will followed the doctor; he still couldn’t think straight.

“Wait here and I’ll make sure everything’s fine” Hannibal said to Will when they crossed the main entrance.

The boy watched the doctor form a bench near a window. He was processing what was happening. They were leaving for France. And God knows for how long.

Hannibal was smiling and explaining something to a young lady in the check-in desk. He turned to Will from time to time and smiled warmly. Then two security guards came over and spoke to Hannibal, which frightened Will. The boy stood up and approached the check-in desk to find out what was wrong. The doctor waved his hand discreetly to signal there was no need for Will to intervene.

“Excuse me, Hannibal, is everything alright?”

“Do you know this man?” the guards asked Will.

“Yes. He’s my friend. Is something wrong?” the boy inquired.

“We need to detain Mr Lecter and call the police. They will take him to the precinct. You should probably come with us as well”

“What? Why? What is happening? Hannibal?” Will frowned.

“It’s nothing, probably a misunderstanding. Officers, we have a flight in a few minutes. Can’t this wait?”

“Please, Mr Lecter, don’t make it worse. Come with us”

The guards led Will and Hannibal to the airport detention, left them there and called the police. The men were together in a small room, Will bewildered and shaking his head.

“What the hell, Hannibal? What did you do?”

“I’ve done nothing that would violate any federal or state law, Will. You have to believe me”

“Then why the whole detention thing? Clearly, the police marked your name as wanted and the airport security had to stop you. But why? Please, Hannibal, you’re making it worse by not telling me”

The doctor grabbed Will’s hands and wanted to kiss him to calm him but Will wouldn’t let him. The boy wanted to ask more questions when two police officers entered the room.

“Mr Lecter?”

Hannibal turned to face the men and they approached him with handcuffs.

“Is it necessary?” the psychiatrist asked.

But the officers handcuffed the doctor and asked Will who he was. The boy confirmed he was a friend and they ordered him to go with them.

 

Half an hour later the police was interrogating Hannibal and questioning Will in another room.

“How do you know Mr Lecter?”

“I worked for him. I was his assistant. Please, can you tell me why he’s being interrogated?” Will was frightened but still confident. There was a strange anger being born in him.

“When you worked for Mr Lecter did he ever mention this man? Or maybe met him in the office? Have you ever seen him?” the officer showed Will a picture of Matthew Brown.

Will’s eyes narrowed at the memory of the man and the boy thought he knew what this was about.

“Mr Graham?”

“Yes, I know this man. He almost beat me to death about five months ago. Is this about him? Because he and Hannibal argued?”

“What did they argue about, Mr Graham?” the officer seemed to have set a trap.

“I’m sorry, I use the wrong word. _Matthew_ attacked Hannibal after we finished work. He grabbed Hannibal by his clothes and wanted to kiss him”

“And what Mr Lecter did?”

“He remained calm. Talked to the man to leave him alone. But Mr Brown wouldn’t listen”

“And what happened then?” the officer wanted to squeeze all possible information from Will.

“I’m not sure” Will lied “I actually had to leave. But I know that the police arrested Matthew then and Hannibal went free”

“You saw your boss being assaulted and you just left?” the officer wasn’t buying it.

Will considered his next words carefully.

“I left because I knew that Matthew was Mr Lecter’s lover”

“Yet you heard Mr Lecter asking him to, quote, ‘leave him alone’”

“Yes. Look, can someone please tell me what is it about?” Will felt defeated.

“Matthew Brown was found dead yesterday in a river. His car was left in the forest nearby. We know that he was seeing Mr Lecter and yes, we have the report form the night they argued”

Will’s eyes widened in shock. Matthew was dead? What the hell was happening? Will remained silent for another minute and tried to think.

“Mr Graham, do you need some water?” the officer asked seeing as Will paled.

“Yes, please” the boy whispered.

Will got a glass of water and drank it hastily. His hands were shaking. He had been studying criminology, he had seen and read about death. But this was different.

“Do you suspect Hannibal did it?” Will asked seriously, a little louder.

“We found his fingerprints in Mr Brown’s car. They had fought and been detained by the police before”

“They were lovers. It’s obvious Hannibal’s fingerprints would be in Matt’s car” Will was torn between believing the police and defending Hannibal.

“Are you and Mr Lecter lovers?” the officer asked seeing as the boy fought to prove the doctor’s innocence.

Will looked straight into the officer’s eyes and said confidently “No”

And he believed it. They slept together just a night before but it was only this one time and Will would hardly call it being lovers at that point. He considered them friends. He had hoped they’d become lovers.

“What were you doing with Mr Lecter at the airport?” the officer inquired further.

“We were going to fly to France” Will was angry, both at the officer and Hannibal.

“Why?”

“It was going to be a form of vacations”

“I see”

The officer asked Will some more questions and then wanted to let Will go but the boy needed to talk to Hannibal. He learnt that the doctor was brought in custody. Will required to meet with Hannibal, even if through bars. The officers weren’t happy about it but they allowed it.

Will saw the doctor sit on a bench in a cell with his face turned to a small window.

“Will!” Hannibal exclaimed when he noticed the boy.

“Did you do it?” Will decided to be straight forward and leave the precinct.

“No, Will, please, it’s an awful misunderstanding. They don’t even have any proof”

“They found your fingerprints in the car”

“Well of course they did. I’ve been in this car many times. If they search carefully, they’ll find-” Hannibal realised what he was about to say was out of place “I’m sorry, Will” the doctor sounded genuine.

“If they don’t have any other proof, they’ll release you tomorrow” Will said quietly through the bars.

“Will, do you believe me?” Hannibal tried to find the boy’s eyes and the answer.

“I’ll come for you tomorrow”

Will left the precinct and went home.


	18. Are you afraid of me?

Will couldn’t sleep that night. He lay in bed and let thousands of thoughts flow through his mind. He didn’t believe Hannibal killed Matthew but a grain of doubt was there.

 

Next day he appeared at the precinct with fresh attitude. He had showered and cleaned his mind. He asked if he could speak to the officers he talked to the day before. A familiar man greeted Will and led the way to a room where they could talk in private.

“Did you learn something new? Found any proof?” Will inquired.

“Regretfully, no. But the case complicated. There are several men that are reported missing and their friends or employers confirm they saw Mr Lecter in their company. He’s the common denominator”

Will’s ‘fresh attitude’ was flushed in toilet. Was this officer implying that Hannibal had something to do with several men’s disappearance? No, no, that was simply too much. It wasn’t true. It couldn’t have been.

Will knew Hannibal had violent lovers and he enjoyed it but…

“Mr Graham, do you know any of those men?” the officer laid photos on the table.

Will recognised two, maybe three. He covered his mouth with his hand and looked through the window.

“Mr Graham? I know it may be difficult since you and Mr Lecter are… friends, but we need your help”

“No” Will cut the answer short.

“You don’t recognise any of them?”

“No, I don’t” Will wanted to stay as far away from the case as he could.

“We don’t know any other lovers of Mr Lecter and none of his colleagues turned out helpful. I thought that maybe you-“

“I’m not keeping a record of his sexual encounters” Will said angrily and full of sorrow.

Suddenly a memory flashed in his mind. _The notebook._ Will’s eyes lost focus and he had to close them. He felt he would cry any minute.

Suddenly, Will felt empty. The anger and sorrow vanished and he thought he needed to stay reasonable.

“Let me talk to him”

 

The officer walked Will to the familiar detention and the boy took a deep breath before he faced the doctor.

“Will! You came. Are they letting me out? No one is really telling me anything”

Will approached the bars so that he could whisper and no one would hear what he’s saying; he wanted to maintain the intimate atmosphere. Hannibal smiled, happy seeing the boy trying to get so close to him. The psychiatrist wanted to touch Will, embrace him, but the bars were too densely set to put a hand through them.

“It’s going to be fine. They don’t have any proof” Will said warmly.

“Of course they don’t. I didn’t do anything”

“I know” a pause “But did you meet with Matthew after you had broken up? I won’t be mad; I just want to know”

Hannibal frowned. It seemed to him that Will didn’t believe him and something was wrong.

“No. We broke up and I needed to regain your trust. I didn’t meet with any of my former lovers after we had broken up”

“Do you and your lovers have any mutual friend? Did you meet through someone?”

Hannibal grew more and more suspicious.

“No. None of my colleagues know any of my lovers” the doctor’s eyes expressed infinite sorrow and disappointment “Unless they are releasing me, I think you can go now”

“Hannibal, I want to help you. But I need to know everything”

“You don’t need to help me. The police don’t have any proof because I didn’t do anything wrong… But you don’t believe me, do you?” the psychiatrist looked at Will and the boy felt ashamed.

“I want to believe you” Will said barely whispering as if to himself “They say there are other men missing, men that you’ve been seeing?”

“What? Oh, and you’re implying that I have something to do with their disappearance as well?” Hannibal was sincerely offended.

“Hannibal, why did you give me that notebook?” Will composed himself and got to the point.

“I thought it was obvious” Hannibal smiled faintly.

“It was. But it isn’t now” a pause “Look, this whole situation is messing with my mind. I’m not sure what’s real anymore”

“Are you afraid of me?” the question seemed like out of the blue but it was fairly reasonable.

Will wasn’t sure if he believed Hannibal could have killed Matthew but the implications made him lose a bit of confidence in the psychiatrist.

“Will you be waiting for me when they release me?” Hannibal tried to get the answer by asking a different question.

Will wondered. He thought he was being naïve but he couldn’t let Hannibal go. He couldn’t give him up.

“I’ll see you in a few hours” Will smiled faintly.

 

When Will was about to leave the precinct, he was stopped by the officer he had talked to before.

“Mr Graham! I think you’d like to know what we found out”

Will was exhausted and he only nodded.

“We checked the internet history on the missing men’s computers and they all visited the same site. In different periods of time. But we checked the IP address of the strangers they were talking to and it turns out it was one and the same person. We are on our way to this man’s house”

The officer then left and Will felt like a heavy weight from his chest had just dropped. He waited in the precinct for the officers to return and in the meantime Hannibal was released.

The doctor approached the boy who embraced him and whispered in his ear.

“I’m so sorry”

“What happened, Will? Did they found the man who killed Matthew?” Hannibal was a bit reluctant to hug Will back; he felt betrayed.

“I don’t know. I’m waiting to find out”

Will looked into the psychiatrist’s eyes and they seemed empty. The doctor was tired and disappointed.

The officers returned with the man who, as it turned out, seduced men online, asked to meet them and then kidnapped them. Fortunately, he was keeping the men in his cellar and they were all found alive.

As for Matthew’s case, there was no evidence he ever contacted the man so the police had to investigate further.

The officer explained everything to Will and Hannibal and asked the men not to leave the country just yet.

Hannibal hailed a cab and he and Will got in.

“Where to?” asked the driver.

The psychiatrist gave Will’s address.

“You’ll stay home and I’ll get back to the airport to recover my car” Hannibal stated “Do you want me to come when I’m done?” he asked insecure.

“You’re exhausted. Go home and have some rest. You can come tomorrow” Will saw Hannibal wasn’t buying it so he took the doctor’s hand and held it until they reached Will’s house. The boy kissed Hannibal’s cheek and disappeared in his little sanctuary.


	19. The monster I am

The next morning Hannibal hesitated but he took his car keys and decided to visit Will. He was still tired after a day spent in the precinct and being forced to face vacuous accusations.

Will couldn’t sleep the night before and in the morning he made coffee after he had let Boss out.

_A car driving up. A knock at the front door._

“Good morning, Will”

“Hi”

Will stroked the doctor’s arm while he stepped inside. It was supposed to be a form of reassurance but Will felt Hannibal shiver at the touch.

“Come to the kitchen”

Will offered Hannibal a cup of coffee and put his mug on the table when the men sat down.

“Look, we obviously need to talk and it’s better if we get it over with as soon as we can”

Hannibal nodded looking at the cup before him. Will felt really bad about the whole situation. He moved his hand towards the doctor’s and covered it, squeezing lightly.

“I’m sorry if I disappointed you”

“It’s no matter. You were afraid they were right”

He still was. Will bit his lip and Hannibal sensed his concern.

“You’re still not sure I’m innocent”

“I cannot be. Not until the police drops the case or proves you didn’t do it”

“I understand” Hannibal was standing up.

“But that doesn’t mean I stopped having feelings for you” Will said quietly.

Hannibal looked at Will intensively.

“And what is it you feel, Will?”

“I like you. I like talking to you, listening to music with you. I just like being with you”

Hannibal smiled faintly. It wasn’t enough for him.

“I know we had some difficult issues to solve and I may have let doubt inside my head but I do trust you. I feel comfortable with you”

“So are we still flying to Paris?” Hannibal asked and Will smiled.

“They forbade you to leave the country”

Hannibal approached Will who also stood up. The doctor took Will’s hands in his.

“Keep your suitcase packed. The second the police says the case is closed we leave”

Will’s smile widened and Hannibal’s words made him more confident. He kissed the doctor gently. Hannibal pulled away after a moment and stroked Will’s cheek.

 

For the next two weeks Hannibal and Will tried to rebuild their relationship. They ate dinner together almost every day and met for a walk in the park whenever they could. One evening Hannibal had a bit tipsy Will on his couch and he took advantage of that. It was only a handjob but a second before Will reached orgasm he whispered ‘I love you’ and made Hannibal elated.

After two weeks the police called Hannibal and Will and said that in the absence of evidence they had to drop the case.

The very same day Will left with Hannibal to France.

 

* * *

 

**Epilogue**

 

Hannibal was receiving countless calls from Matthew for about five months and one day he actually picked up the phone.

“What is it, Matthew?”

“I miss you. I miss your cock. Why did we even break up, Hannibal?” Matt was clearly drunk.

“You attacked me. You beat Will. You were just too much. Please, don’t call me ever again”

“Hannibal! No! Don’t hung up on me!”

The psychiatrist has had enough of it. He was afraid of the boy and regreted ever meeting him. He took a deep breath.

“Let’s meet. As in the old days. I’ll let you fuck me against the wall in the restroom” Matthew breathed heavily.

“Where are you, Matthew?”

“In a bar. But I can come for you”

Hannibal considered the offer.

“Alright. I’ll be waiting in front of my office”

 

Hannibal got in Matthew’s car about fifteen minutes later. He was a bit afraid as the boy was drunk but he still managed the wheel fairly tolerably.

“How about I take you to the forest and you fuck me against a tree? It’s not far and you can enjoy the view; there’s a river about half a kilometre in the forest”

Hannibal’s heart pounded in his chest but he nodded in silent agreement.

 

Matthew stopped the car right by the river. He wanted to kiss Hannibal but the still fastened seatbelt prevented him from moving very far with his advances. He groaned and freed himself from the belt. When he tried to kiss Hannibal, the doctor felt disgusted and came up with an idea.

“You said you’d let me fuck you against a tree? So get out and lean against a tree. I’ll join you in a moment”

“Gotten all bossy, my little doctor?” Matthew smirked and got out of the car.

The boy found the nearest tree and embraced it. He felt extremely hot and rubbed against the bark, pulling his shirt up.

Hannibal opened a glove compartment and found two empty beer bottles, a lighter, condoms, motorcycle gloves and some documents. The doctor put on the gloves and took out the bottles. He got out of the car and approached Matthew. He broke one bottle on the boy’s neck with a sweep of his arm.

“What the hell!” Matthew exclaimed.

He was already bleeding and the second bottle only worsened his state. Hannibal checked the boy’s pulse – he was still alive. The doctor dragged Matthew into the river. He left him two options: either the boy regain consciousness and save himself or he’ll bleed out and/or drown. But Hannibal was going to be far away already.

The psychiatrist walked the way through the forest and returned home on foot. It was already dark and no one would recognise him. Hannibal entered his house and burnt the gloves. He showered and put the clothes in the washing machine. He booked a plane ticket online. Then about eleven he heard a knock at his front door.

He approached the door and when he opened it, he frowned.

“Good evening, Will”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope You enjoyed this fic and the ending ^^


End file.
